To Become A Campione
by readerdreamer5625
Summary: Six years later, the Investigation Team enters as Godou's high school teachers. Famous teachers. Again, very famous. Slight AU to both fandoms.
1. Introduction

**AN: Ah, the scent of a new fic. Huh, you can't smell it? Well, me too.**

**This actually would be my first – mostly – serious fic. Even my other WIP is not as serious as this one. However, this would be only second to that in updating speed, as first-come-first-serve applies to the feeding of my dear little plot bunnies.**

**Summary: **_**Six years later, the Investigation Team enters as Godou's high school teachers. Famous teachers. Again, very famous. Slight AU to both fandoms.**_

**Contrary to that, the summary's not serious at all, I guess? It sounds like crack. HOWEVER, this would be not in accordance to my writing style (which again, fits humor more than anything else), but with a mix of styles from my favorite fanfiction authors.**

**The theme of the mixed timeline comes from Parallel Axis of Sawada Tsunayoshi, and the chapter lengths, themes, and update speeds are from Cywscross. Yep, that means this would take three weeks minimum to months prior to updating, so I'm warning you guys before that. However, chapter lengths after this introductory chapter would be at least 15K. Or I hope so. I mean, I would do so.**

**Lastly, before anyone asks, I won't be applying SEES and the rest of P3 elements in this fic. It's hard enough to mix Persona mechanics and elements to the already complicated Campione without the arrival of the Goddess from the moon to kill all of mankind, because apparently, most of us are suicidal. (I don't hate P3, anyone. I just like affectionately parodying it.) P4 Golden also, if only because I haven't played it. **

**If you want a good P3/Campione fic, there's the **_**Universal Fool **_**by **_**Audiodelus.**_

**The title is, by the way, based on Narukami Yu's… well, the surname Narukami, meaning "To become a God". Translate it as you will. AU warning is actually mostly about timeline and slight assumptions with family ties, along with the True End Epilogue. You'll see soon anyhow.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a Persona nor the Persona Series. I'm freaking new to the Campione fandom, so don't even ask me about it. NOT MINE! (T_T) (No-Face?)**

**Introduction: To Become a Campione**

* * *

><p><strong>Past:<strong>

"_**True friendships mean you never say goodbye; rather it means to always wish for you and your friends to meet again." **_

_**Narukami Yu, in the book "Forming Strong Friendships"**_

When they all said goodbye- no, let's-meet-again to Yu, Yosuke had made an unspoken promise between himself and the rest of the gang to never leave Yu alone in the future.

Never let them split apart, because when that Margaret lady came to them and told them of Yu's always-unspoken Shadow, all of them had resolved that since Yu had helped them with his problems, they would help him with his.

However, what they were planning wasn't as simple as tagging along with him in college.

The entire thing actually started when they had defeated Ame-no-Sagiri. They were all already used to 'leveling up', as Yosuke once joked, after strong battles, becoming better at fighting and learning more techniques. Rise had once pointed out it was actually because they were absorbing the energy left behind by defeated Shadows, strengthening their Personas from the left-over mental energy that created them in the first place.

However, when they defeated Ame-no-Sagiri all together, she had noted that there was something less… primal, and more pure in the energy he left, strengthening them all to a high-degree. She even said that if they had received that kind of energy in the beginning of the case, they would've no trouble at all on storming through all of the Shadows they met.

But because they all had thought after that the entire thing was over – again – they pushed the thought out of their minds because they never visited the Midnight Channel again and it had already ended.

However that thought was also pushed away when their beloved leader had apparently revealed that forgettable gas station attendant to be a literal goddess in disguise, Izanami herself. Of course when they stormed into Yomotsu Hirasaka to defeat her once and for all, they had noticed it. It being the same considerable boost Rise once told them after the last 'last boss' fight.

They had faced Shadows so strong that even the humanoid ones that were theirs seemed weak, however they defeated them like they were simply the first Hableries they had met in Yukiko's Castle. They as well apparently also gave off that same kind of energy Ame-no-Sagiri left, but weaker. It didn't matter in the end, as even as strong as they got when they met the goddess, it proved worthless as she hit them with her Thousand Curses.

And then Yu defeated her with a single beam of TRUTH. Again, Yosuke felt that their team leader felt like an anime protagonist sometimes, if only because he had somehow missed Rise's flirtations for mere jokes.

Jokes aside, Rise had been shocked over the amount of power left behind by her defeat, all of it going to Yu because of the rest of them being unconscious. But even before they could discuss about that after Izanami had accepted her defeat, a strong flash of light blinded them before they were all again inside the electronic branch of Junes.

The Midnight Channel had completely disappeared.

And since all of them other than Yu, who was miraculously completely unhurt for some reason, were already literally dying, though less wounded and more exhausted, on their feet, they were rushed to the nearest hospital when they were found by the workers of Junes.

Dojima had covered for them, however the doctors were shocked when they all recovered with a good night's sleep. Yosuke would've told them that they had worse and recovered just as fast if it didn't make him sound like a weirdo. Thankfully though, their weaponry were unfound by the doctors, having been confiscated by Yu before they were taken away.

After Yu left Inaba the next day, all of them were too sad to actually notice all of the changes to themselves until the end of the week. And the ball ultimately started rolling on the first time Yosuke received a perfect score in an exam.

"Good job~ Hana-chan!" Mr Hosoi chirped brightly as he placed a paper with a bright red 100 at the top. "I would've thought Narukami-kun's depart would've caused you to score lower, but I'm glad you didn't prove me right!"

Yosuke only stared at the piece of paper that he had honestly answered only absentmindedly when it was first given. He was indeed too hung up on Yu to actually focus, and he had expected the usual 50s. Chie then immediately fell out of her chair behind him when she received an 89 with a just as bright endorsement from their eccentric sensei.

Immediately, the IT sans Yu convened at their table in Junes. It, by then, was actually quite literally their table by then as his father had finally noticed the fact his son and his friends kept on using it and placed a 'VIP' seat as a gift to Yosuke in Christmas. _Great_ gift, Dad!

Apparently the two of them weren't alone. Kanji had scored an above-average score for the first time as well, along with Rise who suddenly understood _something_ from Kashiwagi's classes. Yukiko and Naoto were both soundly amused by their antics, and Teddie added up the ante by yelling it loud for Yosuke's mom to hear. He had thought Izanami could arrive then and use her Thousand Curses again, pulling him into Yomi, and he would've been too happy about leaving the embarrassing hug his mom gave him.

"This isn't normal." He said as seriously as he could towards his teammates, even as red-faced he was after his mom left. Yosuke still felt a slight pang of sadness at the sight of one empty seat however. "Me gaining one perfect score, well we can accept that," Cue snorts from most of the team, "But _Chie_ getting an almost _90_? This has to be supernatural."

"Hey!" Chie sounded affronted by the accusation. She then aimed to kick him in the face, only for him to block it. Yosuke took a long while to digest that.

"Wait, did I just… _block_ your kick?"

"Y-yeah, Yosuke." The meat-lover sounded terrified. "You somehow stopped _my _kick!"

Simultaneously, both of them straightened before turning back to the rest of the Team. "This has to _be_ supernatural."

All of them nodded grimly. Teddie took out a phone. "I'm calling Sensei!"

* * *

><p>"Yes, it does sound serious." Yu said as flatly as he could, though a corner of his lips kept twitching. He himself didn't find anything unusual, if only because he was used to being the best at most of what he did. He was still happy his friends called him however. "Rise, Naoto, do you girls have any idea about what may have happened?"<p>

"If only I could summon Kanzeon out here…" Rise murmured to herself after hearing Yu's voice again from the loudspeaker of the phone. She was smiling wildly, along with the rest of the Team. It was only a week, but all of them already missed his company. "All I can do is just… wait."

She focused again. "How? This is… how could this be?"

"What do you mean, Kujikawa-san?" Naoto looked as worried as she could at the shocked idol. "Is there anything that ails you?"

"Kanzeon is… gone – no, not gone but almost _not there!_" She yelled to herself. The rest of the Team gasped before they check their own Personas and turning into the same pallor Rise's face was turning into. "I can still feel her, but she's almost faded, unlike the bright presence I'm used to."

The Investigation Team felt ripped of a part of them just as important as anybody in the group. They had, after all, journeyed through the battles and finished the case with their Persona. They were their protection, their company during times of duress. Like now for example, but they weren't entirely _there._

Yu, who had done the same, temporarily pushed away his own _pain_ at the feeling of the slow loss of his Personas before speaking through the phone again, much grimmer than before. "_Calm down_."

There was a just as painful silence before Yosuke finally replied to Yu. "Alright, partner. What do you think _we_ should do for now?"

"Teddie, is the Midnight Channel still gone?" He asked in reply. After all, what better thing to do than return to the place they had received them? "Does the world behind the TVs still inaccessible?"

"No…" Teddie sounded just as sad as he had been when he realized he was a Shadow. Yu winced; he should've realized that the – bear? – was still a little hurting about the loss of what essentially was his home and birthplace. "Teddie can't open a window into there anymore. It's like it doesn't exist anymore."

"Ted…" Kanji murmured before making a sound of what was probably him rubbing the blue-eyed blond's hair. "Tch, don't worry, you can stay here as long as you want. Haven't we already made that clear to you?"

"Thank you, Kanji…" Teddie cried a bit. "Your hand though, it's beary rough unlike Sensei's."

That caused several of them to lighten up a bit, especially with Kanji immediately pulling away.

"Then Rise, can you… you know, use Kanzeon's abilities, somehow?"

"I'll try Sempai." The idol sounded determined. "Alright, here I go… huh?!"

Little did Yu know at the time, it was the beginning of something truly amazing.

* * *

><p><strong>Present:<strong>

"_Well, I've always wanted to teach at least once. If only for a certain Sensei we had. Haha, you don't know what it means? I thought you had already known. Oprah-san, it means _teacher_."_

_ - _**Yosuke Hanamura, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.**

Kusanagi Godou was overjoyed.

He had only started recovering from that disastrous first meeting between his family – sister especially – and friends Erica and Yuri when his grandfather pulled him aside to discuss a family matter. At first, he had thought it was going to be another of his grandfather's teasing, however when Kusanagi Ichirou turned serious once the two of them were alone, he couldn't help but listen.

And it was great news.

"Godou, your favorite cousin is returning at last."

Godou took a minute to absorb what his grandfather told him before jumping up in happiness, feeling like the kid all those years ago again. Grandfather only smiled at the sight. "So, you're happy about it?"

"Happy?" Godou asked like he couldn't believe how he _wouldn't_ be happy. "Yu-niisan is coming back! Of course I would be happy! I have lots of things to tell him, maybe even introduce him to Erica – wait, maybe not, Mariya-san would do, at least she wouldn't weird him out or worse try to manipulate him-"

"And baseball! And baseball…" He started to slow down from his excitement. "Baseball… how would he feel though, finding out I quit the team?"

"He would care for you anyways." Grandfather pointed out. "That boy's one of the kindest people I know, and I've met dozens of good people. You're lucky that you have a relative like him, Godou."

"Yeah, Yu-niisan's the best." Godou softly replied, feeling a lot better. "Why is he coming back though? Wasn't he wandering around the world?"

"Oh, you know, he's got a new job around here." Kusanagi Ichirou pointedly looked away, however with the teenager looking at the ground it went unnoticed. "That boy, to actually travel around the world to help strangers…"

"I'm really thankful for it though." Godou felt his mouth form a wide-open grin. "So, when's Yu-niisan arriving?"

"Tomorrow."

"What?!"

* * *

><p>Godou couldn't sleep that evening.<p>

It was quite the long time since his favorite cousin/brother-figure had left. He hadn't known when he had met the incredibly mature cousin through his mother's side six years ago that he would've grown so close to him. Granted, Narukami Yu had left exactly a year and a half after to travel with his friends all over the world, but time meant little for the brotherly bond between them to form.

Yu had once told him that he too once felt like that, but a year before they first met, before he had formed strong friendships in a single year in a town. The Kusanagi and Narukami family were close friends after Godou's father married his mother, who was a Narukami, remaining so even after their divorce. While Yu's parents were also quite divorced in a different way with their respective families, the Kusanagi family had accepted him after they left him behind. Apparently, it happened often, and an example was that year. He even had another cousin, this time from Yu's mother's side, a Dojima.

Ten-year old Godou had enjoyed the stories his cousin told him, about a small town where you could fish by the river and hang out with old friends, where you could find a restaurant that has a bowl connected to the Meat dimension, where one can really connect to people, exchanging those stories with his baseball victories and jokes he had slowly became closer to the teenager that he had soon started calling a brother.

"Yu-niisan… How is he now?" Godou wondered to himself before shooting up to a sitting position. "Wait a minute… Oh no, Erica!"

He had no wish to be seen as a playboy like his grandfather by the one he had deemed a brother. Shizuka was bad enough. Quickly dialing through his phone's buttons, he called the Diavolo Rosso's home telephone.

Feeling a little uncharacteristically impatient, Godou kept clicking his feet with the floor until somebody picked up the call. "Hello, is this Anna-san?"

"Godou… why are you calling so early in the morning?" The voice of his actual target filtered through the speakers. She first sounded sleepy, causing him to feel a bit of guilt, before it slowly turned into the sly tone he was more used to, completely nullifying that same guilt. "What, do you want to flirt till the sun goes up? I can't believe you miss me so much."

He ignored that. "So this is Erica, right? There's something I have to tell you about tomorrow."

Perhaps sensing the seriousness in his voice, Erica did the same. "So, what about it, Godou?"

"Tomorrow, another member of my family would arrive. I know you will find about it soon, but I have to say this to you first, just so you would know as well. _Don't do the same thing you did this night as with that person_."

"Hmmm, Godou, are you finally manning up?" Erica teased, though he could read she was still listening. "So, who is it then, your mother? Your father?"

"No," He answered quickly. Godou had little to no love of his parents who couldn't be bothered to take care of their children. "My brother."

"Brother?" The Diavolo Rosso sounded interested. "I haven't heard of a brother in the Kusanagi family."

"He's actually a cousin, but I see him as an older brother. So please, just please, don't ruin my first meeting with him after five years."

"Very well then, Godou, if that's what you truly want." Erica replied more willingly than he heard from her other than in battles. Little did he know, she was actually smiling in pride for the growth of her King. "The day after tomorrow though, I _would_ meet him."

He sighed. "As long as you let me prepare him first."

And with that, he ended the call, feeling a bit happier than before he made it. Later though, he groaned as he realized that he had inadvertently arranged for Yu and Erica to meet, even at her conditions.

He turned to the wall-clock. 3 AM.

Great, he wouldn't be able to sleep at all, damn it!

* * *

><p>Almost dying of tiredness on his desk, the seventh Campione sighed as he tried to piece together enough wakefulness to at least remain awake till the end of homeroom. Then he would sleep so he would be alert enough for the meeting with Yu again.<p>

At the thought, he let out another sigh. His grandfather had been coy about letting him know exactly what time Yu would actually arrive, so he was really antsy about it. In the end, he assumed it would be at least after class hours, as Yu probably would probably be busy with his job until at night.

The attempt to remain completely cognitive was a failure though, and the reason he was actually awake was because Erica was attempting to say something to him. Wait, Erica?

"…really, you're quite the weak man sometimes, Godou. Where's that spine you used when you called me this morning?"

Coincidentally, unnoticed by Godou, all males in the vicinity started glaring daggers at him.

"Huh?" Was his only response to the mage knight. "Did you say something, Erica?"

"Godou…" She devilishly smiled back now that she had his attention. "Have you heard? Apparently, the school is enforcing a new homeroom teacher for this class starting today."

"Really…" Godou tried to reply, but the words didn't compute very well in his mind. When he finally did, he asked slowly, "So, what about it then?"

"Oh, I believe he would be quite the person of interest to you Godou. Should I tell you his name?"

"What again…?"

"He is-" Erica tried to say before she was interrupted by the door opening. "…here."

Godou simply let himself through the patterns of the homeroom tradition, eyes completely closed as the heaviness on them prevented them from opening properly. When the class was asked to sit by a strangely familiar voice, he let himself drop to sleep on his desk.

Barely, he managed to hear a bit of the introduction.

"…ting today, I would be…" The voice calmly spoke in the morning air, somehow simultaneously soothing him for some reason. "…name is…"

"Narukami Yu."

He shot up, awake, causing the entire class to stare at him. Idly, he noted that they would've probably had good reason to, as his eyes were probably blood-red with vessels and bags that were beneath them. However, he ignored those stares as he gazed into a very familiar charming smile of someone he knew since six years ago.

"Ah Godou." The new teacher looked at him amusedly. "Great that you woke up. Now, could you seat down?"

Unconsciously Godou did so, his eyes still wildly uncomprehending of what they were seeing. The person in front continued as if nothing happened.

"I hope we all have a meaningful time together. Hmm? I'm sorry, but I don't know your name, person-who-is-raising-her-hand-at-the-back. What's your question?"

Erica Blandelli stood from her seat, lowering her arm as she sent a wily expression at her new sensei. "Narukami-sensei, may I ask, why are you here so late in the semester?"

And with that, the new teacher's lips curled up. "Well, I'm here because I've been asked to watch over my younger cousin by our mutual grandfather. Isn't that right, Godou?"

At the face of the fact that his grandfather had very well played him, Godou only managed to reply a weak "Yeah?" before he collapsed unconscious on his seat. Apparently, starting today, his brother-figure/favorite cousin Narukami Yu was his very own homeroom teacher.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Tadaaah! Still a little too much humor I guess for what I wanted, plus it was shorter than what I expected. Though, I still retain my previous statements in the above AN. I'm already working on the next chapter after all.<strong>

**Current timelines: Past is post-AU!True P4 Epilogue. Present is pre-Voban and post-Athena Campione timeline.**

**As for the Campione fandom, I'm actually a newbie into it, only four light novels and few fics in. I hope someone out there would help introduce me to it, and would act as my fact-checker. However, I did already check all of the things mentioned in this chaplet.**

**Ah yes, the subject of why I chose Yu to be a cousin and teacher of Godou. Well, honestly, when I first met this plot bunny, it was quite similar to **_**The Campione of Inaba**_** in that Yu was still a teenager and schoolmate. However after several deliberations, I ended up with this setting, if only because it seemed amusing. Verily so~**

**Plus, it also allows me new avenues for the Past side of the story. I actually have a storyline for that already, as it pretty much is concerned with P4 Drama/Friendship, along with the aforementioned brotherly bond between Yu and Godou. The Future side though needs more polishing, as I'm quite honestly unaware of a lot of things in the latter fandom, and fear of changing a plot-heavy factor.**

**Don't fear about it being a cookie-cut story though. After sometime, I'm derailing off canon. It's the question of exactly **_**when**_** to do so that remains unanswered. If only better translations are online, as the Baka-Tsuki translation… sucks for the lack of a better word. Or rather, for the lack of usage of better words. Makes it hard to stay focused on reading them.**

**Several concerns I have though is the flow of the story. Can anyone send me a basic timeline for the Campione Universe? About things like the birth of that Campione, or that plot-relevant Heretic God? Thanks in advance if anyone does answer.**

**Anyways, by my **_**calculations**_**, I would probably be able to update the next chapter pretty quickly, like in two weeks. I sure hope the response is well at that time.**

"_Ah, reviews and favs~/ All a brand-new author craves~/ To feed the… babes? (*'o_o)"_

_ReaderDreamer (and failed poet XD)_


	2. Friends

**AN: Here's the update! Well, it _is_ indeed within two weeks. Surprised myself as well. One sitting, and poof, 8K done. **

**I feel WAFFy with this Past chapter. I can't believe I managed to write the Kusanagi family that wonderfully – to me at least, I don't know about you. Care to review about that?**

**Ah yes, the Stat-based system. Yosuke also leans on the fourth wall this time, frequently revealing various tropes everywhere! And Naoto… oh Naoto is so fun to tease. Also an example of Rise being the Deus EXplainer Machina! As for being Campione… well, we're not to sure about that yet. After all, Rise still _hasn't_ seen an established Campione, right?**

**I placed this here instead of the bottom AN to warn you guys: Erica's thoughts below are purely _fantastical_. It's all in her mind, and I'm _not_ doing that kind of pairing! I just had a lot of fun doing that kind of gag, but that is what it is, a gag. Sorry, fangirls.**

**Playing with game mechanics have never been so fun before. Still not seeing the seriousness in my writing, though!**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned either Campione or Persona 4, but sorry, I don't own them. Now as for being a Campione, that I could… *is shot by the Compilation Committee* …That was a joke, and I'm still here, most certainly not some kind of replacement writer. (_DON'T BELIEVE THEM-!)_ …Really.**

**Chapter 1: Friends**

* * *

><p><strong>Past:<strong>

** "_Hm? About my preferences for guys? I remember answering that in a previous interview, but I'm saying this now. I like our Sensei." _**

- **_Kujikawa Rise, in the magazine "Idols Revealed!"_**

Rise's legs collapsed.

"Rise!"

With a yell of surprise, Yosuke ran up to catch her before he fell, failing to do so because the idol simply caught herself, sending him a thankful smile and reassuring the rest of the team.

Yu however, couldn't see that smile. "Rise?! What happened to Rise?!"

"I'm alright, Sempai." The idol tried to reply as cheerily as she could through her brand-new headache. "It's just that Kanzeon's… abilities weren't too amenable for my tastes out here."

"What do you mean, Kujikawa-san?" Naoto asked, still sounding a little worried. "Were you unable to use them after all?"

She shook her head. "It's quite the opposite. I managed to access her abilities, but I truly hadn't realized the extent of them until seconds ago. Tell me, what do you think is the range of her scan?"

The detective looked contemplative. "Well, judging the size of some of the floors you've mapped, along with the distance from our base to some of the dungeons… at most, 400 meters."

Rise really managed a perky smile this time. "Bzzzt. It's actually 1.5 kilometers!"

"What?!" Kanji looked shocked. He had known Rise's Shadow was strong – heck, she was the only one other than Izanami that really came close to killing them – but that kind of distance was absurd! "You're serious?!"

"Calm down, Kanji." Yu's voice through the phone again, tiredly. A noise of something turning on also came through the speakers. "So, Rise, what about Kanzeon's abilities again?"

"Thanks Sempai." The idol replied. "Well, you guys all know how she analyzes the data I get, right? Well, I previously hadn't noticed the distance because, you know, other than the Shadows and dungeons, there were very few things in that world. The real world though, there are very many things you can find it that sort of distance."

"Sensing everything in 1.5 kilometers," Yosuke realized the gravity of such an ability. "Everything from the smallest insects to the buildings to the people and everything else?! That's gotta be quite worse than an ice-cream headache."

"Ping-pong~ Yosuke-sempai's right." Rise grimaced as she remembered the shock. "She's already set to limit the range a bit, and filter most of the things out, but it's still quite shocking the first time. Anyways, back to the subjects of our Personas."

Yukiko took out a pain-killer from her pocket and gave it to the idol. She had them pretty much all the time now after being delegated as the healer of their team. "Since you managed to use Kanzeon out here, something's changed about them, right?"

"Correct again, Yukiko-sempai." Rise opened the packet before gulping it down with the Tap Soda she bought earlier. She could already feel the headache fading away; where does the general store find these cures? "Apparently, we don't have to worry about them disappearing after all." The entire team let out a sigh of relief. "In fact, I think they would never disappear, without fundamentally changing us further than they already had."

"So wait, our Persona's have changed us and themselves?" Chie posed her question. She quite liked her Persona as she was after all. The laser naginata was awesome! "Hadn't we already done that, you know, when we fought Ame-no-Sagiri? And Suzuka Gongen is still the same from what I can feel, if a little… faded."

"They really haven't changed per se, it's closer to…" The idol tried to think of the right words, before giving up. "It's like this. We all have Personas, and while they are fundamentally part of us we can differentiate them from ourselves. Hmmm… aha, here's what happened."

"Let's say we have this pie as the psyche of the human mind. A third of it is for ourselves, and the rest is the Persona. It seems to us that they've faded when nothing really happened because right now the one that only has the third is the Persona, leaving us more than we used to have and completely ruining our sense of comparison."

"So, Rise." Yu spoke again, this time through a video image of a laptop on the table, shocking the rest of the IT team. He smiled at their reactions. "You guys were too busy talking to notice Teddie borrow a laptop for me to video-call in. Anyways, so does that mean the reason we can access our Persona abilities in the real world is because we are closer to them?"

"Correct!" Rise chirped. Seeing her Sempai's face always made her happy. Should she give Teddie some ice-cream later? "The terrifying thing is, the ratio isn't really like that. It's closer to the Persona being 3% and the rest of it is ours. The divide within our mind between us and our Persona is like almost not there. And that means something is changed between our bodies even here in the real world."

"Is it related to why Yosuke is smarter?" Teddie innocently indirectly insulted the Hanamura, causing him the cuff him in the head. "Ow! Yosuke hits harder too!"

"Yeah." The idol smiled at their antics. "Remember when I first talked to you guys about the stats?"

"Oh, I remember that." Yosuke frowned. "When we were still without you, we really didn't get anything about those numbers other than that if we got stronger they increased. Almost felt like being a real game character too. You said something about them being how we understand our abilities, right?"

Rise nodded. "The statistics are actually a close approximation by your psyche of the abilities they represent. Strength, for example, means the power of the body; Magic, of the mind; Endurance, of how tough you are; Agility, of how fast you move; and Luck is just that, luck. You guys also told me that when you first arrived in the TV World, Yosuke-sempai and Yu-sempai's were in single digits. What do we all have now, 80s and 90s ever since we fought Ame-no-Sagiri?"

Naoto widened her eyes. She hadn't thought of that. "When we gained that kind of greater connection with our Personas, usually in battle, their stats were also reflected in us, allowing us to cut and dent even through metals with our weapons. Even my guns and Yukiko-sempai's fans were affected. But if what you are saying that the connection became even closer, _permanently_… Our stats now have effects in the real world?"

"Yeah." Rise smiled as the others finally got the gist of what she was saying. "In fact, if it was someone else that got hit by Chie-sempai's kick earlier, he would've flown away a few dozen meters, shattering any walls that may stand in his path." Chie paled. "Even Yosuke-sempai as well, if he had done that knucklehead on someone else other than Teddie, he would've broken a neck."

Yosuke looked green. "You, Rise, are terrifying for saying that with a smile."

"I have been observing those kind of things since we entered the TV World, you know?" The idol looked scarily sheepish for almost scarring her teammates. "I'm kinda used to it already after all this time scanning the damage we did on our enemies. You try analyzing the amount of wounds, decapitations, burns, and holes you guys leave in Shadows and somehow not get used to it."

Yu looked at them with a long gaze. "By the way everyone,_ we _are going to learn how to limit ourselves_, alright?" _

He wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Hai!" Each one of them jumped up in slight fear of Yu and their abilities.

"Good," He nodded. "So, Rise, care to give us some points of comparison?"

"Hmmm, from what I remember of the initial scan, hmmm. Nakajima Shu-kun, the kid you once tutored before Sempai? Apparently, he's the person that's the smartest in this town right now, disregarding us." The IT team gaped in shock over _that _knowledge. "He doesn't have a Persona of course, but Kanzeon's scan of him had revealed that if he was one, his Magic stat, the symbol for intelligence, would be 32."

Their jaws fell. Rise failed to notice them as her eyes were closed as she tried to remember the comparisons. "And the bodybuilder down the shopping district who could lift 120 kilograms would have around 21 Strength. Aiko-chan, the track-and-field star of our school has an Agility of 14. The _walls_ of Junes have an Endurance of 28, and the fox of the shrine has the Luck of 40. So, yeah, apparently we're all pretty much superhuman by now."

Yosuke felt the urge to whack his head on the table for that admission, but stopped himself in time, because apparently since the table only had the Endurance of 8, the metal would bend and bow and he wouldn't even have a scratch on himself. He instead said weakly, "So, the reason why we suddenly have all these high scores in exams is because, we have high Magic stats? I mean, there's a limit to how things could suddenly feel like a video game, like for example getting _coined _money from the remains of Shadows, before it gets weird!"

"Trust me Yosuke," Yu said as emphatically as he could through the screen of a laptop. "I feel the same sometimes. You don't even want to know how I replace my Personas."

Yukiko broke out into a fit of laughter. Chie sighed as she snapped out of hers to pat her – _softly – _at the back to let her breathe. "So, what was my Magic stat? 89? No wonder I got that score."

Naoto rolled her eyes. "No, Chie-sempai. Given that a proven genius is 32, you should've gotten _at least_ a perfect score. It's quite amazing how you actually got an 89 when you were supposed to be at least four to ten times smarter than our teachers."

"Hey!"

"Wait, so if Teddie would enter a lottery, he would get the grand prize?" The blond in their team literally _sparkled_ at the thought. Rise gave the bits of light a short scan. Nope, neither Shadow nor Persona magic; it was still inexplicable to any of them after all. "Yuki-chan, Rise-chan, Chie-chan, Nao-chan, if I win the tickets to an international date trip to Hongkong, will you girls go with me?!"

Kanji whacked him in the head, ignoring the other people's yelps and wide eyes. He may have the highest Strength stat out of all of them, but he knew well enough that Teddie would simply brush it off with his not-inconsiderable Endurance. Or so he would say to the others later. "Stuff it, bear! Isn't it kind of cheating to do something like that to those who hold those kinds of events? Also, show some respect for those who don't win!"

"Kanjiiii… You're so cooold. It's just because you have the lowest Luck stat of the rest of us."

"You…"

"Not only that, everyone." Rise interrupted their bickering. "While I doubt we could ever summon our Personas in their solid form anymore-" Chie moaned in sadness. Goodbye, laser-naginata! "-or at least without the same kind of fog Izanami makes, which _we_ don't want to happen, there are still the Skills and magic that they could do that's available to us. I'm warning this now, if a punch is already bad, you guys don't ever want to say the names of your spells unless you want to cause wanton destruction."

"What?" Yosuke looked in disbelief. "So you mean, if I say something like Garu-"

A strong gust of wind blew through the food court, causing the other people around them to shout in surprise as their food and drinks were carried away.

"-Oops, we would cause something like that?"

"Great to make an example, Hanamura-sempai." Naoto facepalmed. "And that spell's been out of his reach since a long time ago, right? So apparently, all the skills we once had are reclaimed?"

"Yep."

"Great. Really, what more could one want, more wanton destruction. Same for the physical Skills, I suppose. So, what are we supposed to do with them, I don't know… change the world for the better?"

Everyone went silent. Yu coughed through the screen. "Well… I suppose-"

"Sempai, please, don't continue that sentence." Naoto rested her face on her arms. "Well, if apparently I'm now a super-genius to the level of Stephan Hooking, I might as well as try skipping through the rest of my high-school years with you guys."

Chie clapped her hands happily. "Hey, that sounds like a great idea!"

"Wait, what?" The detective immediately shifted her eyes to the martial arts enthusiast. "I was joking!"

Yosuke smirked. "Since when do you joke, Naoto-_kun_? Since we do have these abilities, we might as do our best with them, right?" The rest of IT, including Yu who was smiling at the thought of not being the only one who was _the_ genius, nodded at the same time. "So, we're all going to try skipping a few years? I'm all for it, I need some extra time to myself that I don't feel like devoting to the school now."

"But, but-" Naoto sputtered before looking for a reason to convince the rest of the Team, "How about clubs – no, none of us other than Yu-sempai had them, friends – but we already have each other, and again Yu-sempai's the only one again with many of those, teachers – no, quite honestly I'm weirded-out by them as well and Yu-sempai's…"

"If I graduate early," Yukiko looked like she had attained enlightenment. "I could get some time before I end up taking over the Inn! I could travel around the world! Well, with the use of some Luck…"

"Is anybody listening to me-" Naoto tried to stop her from _that_ thought process before going back to her own when she was promptly ignored, "Alright, Naoto, _think_, you must be able to _think_ of a reason to stay in school…"

"Yeah! Yosuke's finally going have time to play with moi!" Teddie cheered. "Hey, Kanji, you can have some more time sewing those dolls you like to sell right?"

"Y-yeah, I guess I could." Kanji embarrassedly rubbed the back of his head. "I could help Ma with the house as well if I graduate early… But Naoto's probably got a reason to stop us, right?"

The detective shook her head, having debated with herself. "Nope, I'm now convinced. I can't think of anything that could happen other than having several people get shocked in surprise if we do so. Jobs could be rearranged, friends – well, we have each other, really – there are several things that could happen on the top of my head, but we _can_ prevent them."

And then she gazed at the laptop, where the image of Yu smiling as he watched his friends act animatedly over the possibility of escaping school. "And it also means that we can get some time to visit Sempai ourselves."

Everyone went silent. Yu's eyes widened as he realized what Naoto was saying. "You mean…"

"If we somehow fix some kind of arrangement here in Inaba," Naoto nodded, "Yes, we could somehow come along with you. Your parents aren't at home over there either, am I right, Sempai?"

The leader of the IT looked downward. "Yeah… I'm actually set to stay over another home of my relatives in Tokyo."

Everyone else looked at each other guiltily. In their reverie over the possibility of freedom, they had forgotten about Yu again.

"Alright, we finally have a goal now." Yosuke nodded, along with the rest of IT sans Yu. "We really can't let you be with your parents; so somehow, just somehow, we're going to do something with that. I don't know really for now, but I'm tired of you helping us and us not helping back, so just wait for us and we'll do _something._ So, just sit there for a while, Partner, and even interact with your family, and just so you wait, and we'll do something for you."

"Yosuke… Everyone…"

"Don't say anything, Yu. I _want_ to do this." The brunet replied to his best friend before sharing a glance with the rest of the Team. "And I've got a feeling they feel the same too."

"You betcha!"

And so, it was decided, the future goal of the IT after all of the murders.

* * *

><p>That being said, it wasn't that quite simple.<p>

First they had to explain away to the teachers why they should take the placement exam in order to prove themselves worthy of skipping years.

For Naoto and Yukiko, it was pretty simple as they were known for their intelligence, if not a bit difficult for the latter to get permission from her parents to skip grades. However, with a helpful convincing talk from the Shirogane, Ms. Amagi had agreed to let her have a chance.

The rest of them, however, didn't find it easy. First, while Yosuke had since then started getting perfect scores, the teachers still judged it too soon for him to attempt. Then Chie who didn't even have that kind of record to help her, although she soon started getting the same kind of scores as Yosuke's with his help – much to the teachers' surprise.

Rise met a bit of resistance as well, not because of her scores, but due to the principal begging her to stay for the fame of Inaba. It even reached to the point where they talked to the mayor, who the entire IT convinced that if they all managed to graduate high-school in the same time, even Rise's considerable fame would garner less attention, and thus, tourism.

And Kanji had it worst. Not only was his attendance on the previous year filled with holes, he had a bad rep with most of the town, making it very difficult for him to even make the principal stay and talk. The IT just managed though, with plenty of promises to 'watch over Tatsumi' from Dojima who they had to convince as well.

But that was just the _permission_ to get the Exam. Chie had proved it after all; it didn't matter that you had high Magic stats when you honestly don't know what to answer with. While they had found that studying had become so easy it was terrifying, it was still that: all of them had to read ahead and beyond the entire curriculum of the Yasogami High.

Yu had sent his notes from the previous year and reading materials for the current year to them, making that process much easier, and by then, it also got out about their attempt to graduate early to the rest of the school public. Suddenly, they were swarmed by dozens of rumors of why and how they would graduate, plus several jealous glares from the less appreciative students. That kind of environment made it harder to study, but also provided even more reason to focus on escaping the school.

And while his teammates rushed to graduate, Yu on the other hand faced his new house-mates.

* * *

><p>"Hello, my name is Kusanagi Ichirou. And this is my dear wife," the old lady beside the introducing old man gave her husband an affectionate pat on the shoulder, causing him to smile, "Kusanagi Chiyo – I still can't stop enjoying the sound of my name with hers even after all these years – and the two of our grandkids up inside the house behind us is Godou and Shizuka."<p>

"Nice to meet you," Yu said with a half bow. Even if Dojima said that he didn't need to last time, it could be different here. He was in Tokyo after all, not Inaba. "My name is Narukami Yu."

"No need to be so formal, dear." Chiyo, the old lady, smiled at him cheerfully. He smiled back, already feeling welcome.

Even if his parents never took care for him, at least he had these really kind relatives. "Then should I call you Chiyo-baasan and Ichirou-jiisan?"

"Such a polite kid." Ichirou commented before leading him to the home at the edge of the Bunko ward. "It only makes me want to teach you how to charm the ladies even more!"

The old man gave him a mischievous smile worthy of Sayoko, the slightly… risqué nurse that became a good friend of his, causing the Devil Arcana to flicker a bit within Yu's soul. Playful. Flirty. Yu would've never thought he would feel it again without also feeling weird, especially from such an old man. He smiled at the nostalgic feeling. "No need to, or at least I think so."

Ichirou only laughed at the reply while Chiyo gave a short, but fond, long-suffering sigh. "Don't mind him, dear. Now, let us introduce you to our home and proud store."

When he entered through the sliding glass doors of what would be his new home, Yu let out a small gasp of surprise as the slightly acidic smell of old books hit his nose. He almost felt at home back in Inaba, back in his room where the stacks of his Man's Life series, Timid Teacher series, and collection of manuals and pre-teen books still remained. Yu had always loved books and reading them, spending multiple nights reading dozens, especially back during the times before Inaba-

He shook his head. Those days had passed, and he had friends now. "I love this place." He said earnestly before turning back to the smiles of the old couple. "Do you think I can borrow some of the books?"

"As much as you want to, my dear." Chiyo smiled at him before looking sadly at the stacks of books left untouched. "It's rarely that we have customers nowadays, anyway. All they want are those books called manga nowadays. It's best for someone to read them before they get eaten away into dust."

"There is no such thing as a worthless book." Yu strongly replied before walking up to one of the older shelves. He randomly picked up one book, with an old earthy leather cover. _Collection of Shinto Gods_. A small curl formed on his lips at the irony. "Can I start with this one?"

"Nice choice, my boy." Ichirou murmured behind him, causing him to start slightly. He sighed inwardly; he was still a little too jumpy from all the fights in the TV World. The old man continued, picking up several books himself. "Do you know, I'm a professor of folklore studies in a local university? Or rather, used to, as I just retired just this late March. I didn't know why, but I suddenly felt like I should."

"Really?" Yu turned back to him from reading several of the first brown pages of the thick book. It was interesting, and Izanagi and Izanami were actually the first of the gods being discussed about in the book. "Would you mind teaching me some of what you know then?"

"Aren't you supposed to be entering your last year in highschool, dear?" Chiyo tilted her head, her eyes dark with years of wisdom. "Are you sure you would have the time to be studying under Ichirou-san over here?"

Yu rubbed the back of his head, somehow embarrassed that part was revealed minutes into their first conversation. His face still remained blank though, as while he had slowly regained his Expression in Inaba, he was still hard to read unless he wanted others to. "Well, I had actually already finished high-school. I'm still going to wait some time for my friends before I decide to whether to go to college."

She gasped, not in surprise but in happiness. "So you skipped a year? Perhaps I may actually have someone to talk to other than Ichirou-san over here! As lovely as my husband is, the subject of the latest lady he has charmed gets tiring in some time after all."

"Hey!" Ichirou playfully rebutted. "My exploits are something to be proud of!"

"Yet something you shouldn't keep telling your wife over and over." Chiyo sighed, though she was still smiling. This time, Eri's Arcana, the Temperance also shimmered in Yu's soul. She then asked him, "So, when did you skip? Last year, the previous?"

"This year's actually. When I entered the school I was supposed to enroll in around here, I went straight to the principal and discussed about letting me to take a placement exam to graduate instead." Yu sighed at the memory. Not only was the man baffled, he also took too long lecturing him about the color of his hair before he managed to convince the man it was natural. "After seeing my records, he agreed to let me take the exam. Just gained my diploma this morning actually."

"That was… genius!" Ichirou roared in laughter like he had told the greatest prank, causing Yu to slightly blush in embarrassment. "Ahaha! I just know I'm going to enjoy your time here, my boy!"

Yu gave his first laugh in Tokyo in return. He might actually enjoy himself here after all.

* * *

><p>Kusanagi Godou wasn't hiding. Really.<p>

No, he was carefully watching the newest member of their home, like… like Suzuki-san. Right, like Suzuki-san from his favorite baseball team, he was carefully watching from the safe vantage point that was on top of one of the cabinets, studying the movements and actions of his target like a hawk. He really wasn't hiding.

No, that was Shizuka, who was locked in her room. Yes, she was the one hiding, not him! And he certainly wasn't crying, not even a bit. Those bits of moisture in his eyes were caused the knocked-up dust that got into them when he climbed here. And they were most undoubtedly not because he lost in rock-paper-scissors with his sister on who would watch up here.

Really. Wasn't he supposed to be the older brother?

"So, why are you hiding?"

He snapped towards the voice. "No! I'm not hiding! I'm- wuaaAHH!"

After a moment of silence, Godou opened his eyes when he didn't feel the pain of his back landing from the fall of the top of the tall cabinet. Idly he promised to himself to never turn again when on tall cabinets before his eyes were met with the smiling silverish-grey eyes of the person who caught him. The person said, amused, "Well, quite the way to make the memorable first impression."

Blushing in embarrassment, he escaped the arms of the one who saved him. "S-shut up! I'm-"

He was immediately stopped when a finger touched his lips and was raised in an admonishing gesture. "Language."

"Sorry." Godou immediately replied, blushing for even a few more moments before sagging in defeat. "That was embarrassing…"

His newest family member only smiled in reply, however the boy didn't see it as he was too busy staring at the floor. "Not the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot, I assure you. So, you're Godou?"

He shuffled on his feet, eyes still not facing the person he had shamed himself to as he played with parts of his now-dirty clothing. Curse Shizuka and her lucky hands that never seem to lose at Rock-Paper-Scissors! "Y-yeah. My name's Kusanagi G-Godou. And you're Yu-san, right?"

The same finger that admonished him poked him in the forehead, making him look up. "Ow! What was that for…"

Godou then faced the smile of the Fool. He was blinded by the honest welcome in it, unlike the evil ones that only terrified him that sometimes came from his sister and mother. The man graced by it said, "Look at people when you talk to them, Godou, or else they wouldn't respect you."

He blinked, as he was too entranced by the smile to hear. "Huh?"

Narukami Yu only grinned at the slightly dumb but funny face his newest cousin was making. "And listen to them as well, by the way."

"Hey!"

The Star Arcana blinked brightly like its namesake in the skies.

* * *

><p>"And so- and so- Shizuka never calls me 'big brother'! No, not Oniichan, nor Nii-san, nor even Aniki – though I wouldn't like that anyways, it makes me sound like a thug – not even once! Nope, it's always 'Godou, buy me this', 'Godou, hide on top of that cabinet', 'Godou, embarrass yourself in front of Yu-san!'"<p>

Yu nodded a bit acquiescently, letting the boy talk as he found a bit of amusement in his words. While he loved Nanako like a dear little sister, in the beginning it was still a little awkward before he got her to talk. No such problems with this one though, because apparently _his_ own sister was causing him enough exasperation to require a bit of venting. Which Yu could provide.

From his probably-excessively lurid descriptions of Shizuka though, Yu felt a bit of thankful that Nanako was one of the most mature kids he had ever met. Godou though reminded him of Eri's stepson, Yuuta. They both certainly liked to shout their aggressions out after all.

When the boy stopped he was already huffing. With an amused smile, Yu patted him in the back a few times to help him breathe. "There, are you feeling better now, Godou?"

The boy whined, "Were you even listening to me, Yu-san?"

Godou was certainly smart for a ten-year old, he noted to himself. It was more akin to him talking to a middle-schooler. "I certainly did. So what further grievance do you have about Shizuka?"

"Well-" The boy was about to continue before a knock at the wall behind them interrupted their conversation. It was Chiyo-baasan, and she looked very amused and pleased about the two of them. Yu would've bet several Personae that she was listening in to what Godou was saying earlier. She opened her mouth, eyes sparkling with cheer.

"Well, Godou, Yu-kun, dears, would you care to eat? Or would you rather talk there till the night ends, all about your sister who is already eating at the table? Too bad if you do, I made my special Nikujaga!"

Apparently still being a boy of ten years of age, the name of one of his favorite – or at least, enjoyed – foods was enough to distract Godou from his latest soliloquy about the horror that was Shizuka. He ran out the room, bypassing both Yu and Chiyo to run off to the table, all the way yelling, "Nikujaga!"

Both Yu and Chiyo laughed.

"He's a wonderful boy, isn't he?"

"Yes, yes he is."

* * *

><p>Yu yawned as he walked in the hallways of his new home.<p>

It was pretty large for a family of four, especially compared to the Dojima's, and even though the front was used for the secondhand-bookshop there was still a large amount of free space within the two-story wooden building that was owned by the Kusanagi. That was little surprise though, as there was plenty of history in its walls, going back to the Second World War and was thrice renovated and extended to this date.

And there, sitting at the edge of one of the first-floor windows, he saw the last person he still had to meet from the Kusanagi family. She had ran off to her room after all, apparently had rushed her eating just so she could have more time before actually meeting him.

"Y-you're Y-Yu-san, right?" The girl who was so differently acting from the way her brother had described her fidgeted as she also didn't meet his eyes. But unlike Godou's embarrassment, Yu could see the reason for her doing so was entirely out of shyness. "S-Shizuka's my name. Nice t-to meet you."

The Fool tilted his head with a smile. "Hmm? You seem pretty different from what Godou told me."

Shizuka blushed. "D-don't listen to my idiotic Oniichan." From her tone, idiotic almost seemed affectionate. Almost was the acting adjective, however. "H-he's only mad that he l-lost in Rock-Paper-Scissors, that's all!"

She finished with a flourish, her hands in fists straightened out at her sides, and staring at Yu in the eyes. Immediately after, she turned away in embarrassment. Ah, there it is, the sibling resemblance.

"Alright, alright, I understand." Yu reassured her. He asked another question then, "So, you actually call him Oniichan?"

The blush became even deeper. "No!" She denied, waving her arms for emphasis. "I call him Godou! _Godou_! He's too stupid, too idiotic, too simple, too similar to Grandpa, and too much like _himself_ that I can't call him that!"

She then murmured this to herself, shifting her eyes from Yu to turn almost callingly to the full Moon. "Not that he expects me to ever do so anyway. Not after this so long a time."

"Is it really so?" Yu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Because I can remember him moaning for an hour earlier about how he wanted you to call him that."

Shizuka turned her head so fast Yu wouldn't have been surprised if she got whiplash. "R-Really?!" Then realizing how she had just reacted, she shook her head over and over again like a broken machine, stepping back a few steps as she did. "I m-mean, what? Like I care?" Yes, it was indeed with a question mark, as if she was questioning herself. "I don't care whether Oniichan wants me to call him that way or not!"

Then she slapped her incriminating mouth closed, blushing so red Yu would worry for her extended health if it happened daily. Just as he made a mental note to ask the old couple as soon as possible, she spun on her feet, and dashed as quickly as she could away from him. Yu winced at the sound of her tripping in the darkness, and just when he had almost decided to go after her and help her up, she was already off to run again.

Yu could hear though, as she ran away, a soft "Thank you."

He then turned back to the full moon, at its yellowish-white face as it looked back down on him, the white moonlight playing on his face like the rabbits making mochi. And in the same time, the Moon Arcana of Ebihara Ai sparkled in the depths of his soul. It almost felt poetic.

* * *

><p>That morning, Narukami Yu woke up the sound of his phone ringing with a message. Opening it, he read with a wide smile the caption that accompanied the photo of his friends smiling triumphantly.<p>

_We all passed, Yu! We all now have graduated out of Yasogami! – Yosuke_

He looked up to the morning star through his window.

It promises to be a great year.

* * *

><p><strong>Present:<strong>

"_Live News Report:_

_A ten-year old boy had been found saved after a terrifying crash with a bullet train. He had fallen into the rails when it approached, much to the fear of his parents. However, when he was hit, a flash of light blinded those who were watching, and all that was left was an immobile train and the boy, unhurt, back off the tracks._

_A human adult-shaped indent was all that was found from the incident, dented into the train's front. Anonymous donations have already been given to the owners of the station to help fix the damages. All the boy said to the reporters was:_

_ 'I was hugged and protected by a kind silver-haired angel.'"_

_ - _**ZNN* Special Report, almost 4 years ago in Washington DC.**

Ever since Kusanagi Godou became a Campione, he gained an astounding recovery speed from the majority of physical ailments like disease, injuries, and of course, things like exhaustion caused by worrying too much about the arrival of your favorite cousin to actually sleep.

Over things like embarrassment and mental horror however, he found out soon enough that being a Campione did little on that matter. That's why when he opened his eyes to see the not-familiar but still-recognizable ceiling of the school clinic, Godou immediately closed his eyes again and hoped that it was all a dream and he would wake up and the day was still not over and…

"What a way to make a first impression as always, Godou. Open your eyes, it's not a dream. You did suddenly faint in your classroom."

Yes, that was certainly the voice of his brother-figure. And weren't those words annoyingly familiar?

He shot up, and immediately covered his face with his palms. "So embarrassing…"

Why is it always this person who he ends up shaming himself on? And he had thought he had grown out of that habit…

A chuckle, then a finger poked at his forehead just like all those years and forced him to look up. It was the same voice, the same tone, and the same smile. "Look at me Godou. You don't have to be scared about me judging you, you know?"

"Yeah, sorry I forgot about it again, Yu-niisan." Godou said a little weakly before immediately throwing off the finger on his forehead to give his cousin a tight hug, not caring at how childish he might look. Yu gasped in surprise before slowly returning it. Godou murmured, almost piteously, "I've missed you so much."

His newest teacher smiled behind him as he kept on the hug, nonetheless Godou knew that he did. Yu whispered in his ears, "I'm sorry about leaving like that, leaving you guys without saying goodbye."

Godou pulled away from the hug, wiping a bit of moisture from his eyes. He still wasn't crying though. "You can be pretty stupid sometimes, Yu-niisan. Don't you remember? You did say goodbye… it's just that I didn't listen. Even Shizuka agrees with me at that." He then shook his head. "No matter, I'm don't care about that anymore. I'm just happy to meet you again."

Yu smiled. "It's always meet-you-again, instead of goodbye, right?"

"Yeah," He immediately replied, feeling much happier. It felt like the pressure of being Campione, of the pain of how he faced gods and deities every other month had already faded away from his shoulders. "And you're always welcome to come back if you have to leave again, Yu-niisan."

* * *

><p>"I don't know how you somehow convinced me to go along with you."<p>

"Sshh! Yuri, I may not hear what my Godou is saying!" Erica snapped back before looking back at the image imposed on the wall. "But honestly, I'm feeling a bit envious. Why does Godou not sound so happy when he meets me?"

She could've used something better, Erica mused silently, as she stared at the magic diagram forming a 'one-sided window' on the wall of the classroom beside the clinic. She was the Diavolo Rosso after all, so she could've done something to watch from somewhere farther away. But that would also mean letting a too big distance between her and her Godou after all, so she chose this kind of viewing.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Narukami Yu, the cousin/brother-figure Godou had worried to the point of insomnia for, as she already checked his background, but because she didn't trust Godou himself. And she was sure she was proven right soon enough.

"To think, Godou actually swung a bit that way… Is it how he always resists my charms?"

She had doubted the sincerity of Godou's request to leave him alone with his 'brother' after all.

Yuri, ever so innocent in the more modern uses of language and in the subject of romance, tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean, 'swing'? There aren't any playgrounds inside the clinic, right?"

"_Playground_…" Erica chuckled a bit. It sounded like a euphemism to her, but she knew the Hime-Miko was totally being naïve about what she could've meant. "Well, Yuri, mind if you look into the window and tell me what is happening?"

Yuri did so, feeling a bit guilty for intruding on the privacy of two close boys. Then she saw and heard:

"…_missed a match today, Godou. And I heard; you've quit the sport? I remember it being so fun when I played with you years ago."_

_Godou tried to look away. "I hurt my shoulder in a previous match, and ever since then only the position of batter is left for me. Since I can no longer pitch as well as I could, nor could I catch, I ended up not signing up for baseball when I started highschool."_

_"I understand then." The older boy then chuckled. He came closer and poked Godou in the forehead again, forcing him to look back. "Now, don't look away. Like I told you, I won't judge you for anything, right?"_

_"Yeah…"_

The guilt had turned menacing, and Yuri promptly turned away from the image. She felt like a bad person for even peeking into such a brotherly time between two guys. She then turned to the person who made her do it in the first place.

"Have you no shame…"

Erica rolled her eyes. "Tell them that. Now tell me, what did you see?"

The Hime-Miko sighed again. Truly Erica Blandelli was the kind of person to never care for things like propriety and manners. "They're talking about a game they both to enjoy together. Something about a pitcher and a catcher? Then Kusanagi-san explained how he wasn't good at any of those two positions anymore because of an injury he gained in a previous game."

The knight of the Copper Black Cross had blushed, slowly and further going to red as she listened to what Yuri was saying. She felt satisfied; so Erica had finally felt a little discomfited over the fact she was peeking into something so personal, so _private_ between those two boys?

However she continued. "Then Narukami-sensei came closer to Kusanagi-san, saying that he wouldn't judge him for that. Kusanagi-san then agreed with what Narukami-sensei was saying- huh? Erica-san, are you alright?"

The Diavolo Rosso was now completely opposite of how she looked before, completely pale with a ghastly white appearance. Erica then took a second before standing up, snapping her fingers to dispel the 'window', and pulling Yuri along by the arm as she left the room, all of this done silently, if also urgently.

Mentally however, Erica was screaming.

**_Pitcher_**?! **_Catcher_**?! **_Played_** _so hard that he gained an injury?! **Won't judge**?!_

She then stormed into the clinic, pulling along with her the tired Miko.

_Meanwhile:_

"Wait, Godou, before you go back to your classroom, let me first check you for any injuries. I better disinfect them before you leave."

If there were any injuries, Godou thought to himself, they would've already healed with his supernatural recovery speeds. However, Yu-niisan wouldn't know that, and may get a little suspicious over not finding even a small mark. That didn't sound good to him.

"Ah, no." He waved his arms frantically as he tried to leave the bed. "I'm completely fine! Really!"

His brother-figure however, apparently misconstrued it to be him fearing the sting of alcohol on scratches. "Don't try to act tough, Godou. Now do hold still so I can look for carefully for any scratches your chin might have made from that landing on your desk."

And that was when Erica arrived with Yuri. The Hime-Miko saw it for what it really was, but as for the knight, well…

Yu's hand was on Godou's chin, his face close with the other's as his eyes carefully studied the face of his younger cousin. Godou on the other hand, looked both slightly frantic and receptive to the ministrations of his brother-figure, eyes carefully slanted away just so to both focus on the other's eyes and to the rest of his body. The bed was also messy, the bed-sheet mussed as the younger male's earlier attempts to escape ruffled them, and the other arm of the teacher placed on the shoulder of his student in order to prevent him from leaving.

All it lacked, in Erica's eyes, was the sparkles and flowers. And she _didn't like it_.

"_Get away from Godou_!" She yelled, running up to the two surprised males and pulling them apart. She then snarled at her new homeroom teacher. "_He's mine!"_

"E-Erica?!"

And here, we veil the scenes of what inexplicably turned into a one-sided catfight.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Erica Blandelli, the famed Diavolo Rosso of the Copper Black Cross, was sitting painfully in seiza on the cold hard floor of the clinic. She then bowed, truly apologetic, "I apologize, Yu-sensei for peeking and misconstruing about your… relationship with my Godou."<p>

The silver-haired teacher only chuckled. "No worries. It's not the first time it happened with me anyways. Several of my friends have said the same about my relationship with my best friend many times before."

The Kusanagi in the room, on the other hand, was torn from between horror and embarrassment, face entirely red and his mouth gaped as tried to process what the knight was thinking he and his brother figure was _doing_.

"Godou? Are you alright? Blandelli-san, I think you might have broken my cousin over here. And as you say, you're my brother's girlfriend?"

"You can call me Erica. You are, of course, the person closest to being the brother of my Godou, so it's only correct for you to call me informally. Godou would be alright; he's had worse."

"Very well, Erica-san it is. And as for you, may I ask what is your name?"

"I'm Mariya Yuri, one of their schoolmates. Sensei, you can call me Mariya-san."

"Then, Mariya-san it is then."

That was when Godou's jaw snapped closed and he started banging his head over the nearest wall. After several whacks, he then took off, blushingly not looking at his brother, taking with him the two girls who had stormed into the clinic earlier. Before he left, he yelled back, "See you later, Yu-niisan!"

Then he slammed the door closed behind him. Yu smiled at his antics before heaving a sigh and taking out a velvet-blue phone. Pressing a speed-dial, he weakly said to the other side,

"Yeah. You guys were right. Godou's a Campione now…"

He cut off the call before they could reply, and then sighed to himself again. "Why of all people, why Godou?"

* * *

><p>On the roof of the school, Godou promptly stopped running, and quickly turned angrily at the unrepentant Erica.<p>

"Eriiicaaa!" He said as strongly as he could through his gasping breaths. "Why?! Why do something like that?!"

The knight was still unashamed. "It's your fault Godou, acting so close with your cousin. Of course I would misunderstand."

"Misunderstand… eh?" It seemed that it was just now that what Erica's words meant reached Yuri. Idly behind his furious thoughts, Godou wished that he was _that_ slow when it came to understanding Erica sometimes. It would've been nice to go along his day without knowing that one of his friends thought that he… he…

He fought back _that_ blush again. "Didn't you promise to give me at least a day before I make you two meet? Now he might think that I've gotten weird over the years because of you!"

"_Don't worry Godou, I won't ever judge you_." Erica repeated the words said earlier in the clinic. "Hadn't he said that to you earlier?"

"But still- but still! You just don't do that and say embarrassing… things to my brother just because we're alone together!"

"Eh?" Yuri was still blushing, shifting her eyes from Godou and back every now and then. "Eh?"

The Campione groaned to the heavens.

Erica ignored him. "So, Yuri, what did you see when you met Narukami-sensei?"

The Miko snapped out of her trance. "Spirit vision?"

The knight nodded. Seeing this, Godou spoke up again. "Wait, Yuri's spirit vision works on humans?"

Yuri shook her head. "You misunderstand. Spirit Vision isn't specific in what it targets, and it's all up to luck for it to actually work. But yes, I saw something with my Spirit Vision about Narukami-sensei. It was a man, with a satchel tied to a stick in his hands leaning on his shoulder. Beside him was a dog, and he was surrounded with the feelings of _journey_ and _change_."

"The Fool…" Godou murmured in recognition. "It fits…"

"Fool?" Erica turned to him. She was surprised; normally, she or Yuri were the ones knowing about the supernatural aspects of the world, but this time it was Godou who recognized the meanings first. "What does it mean, Godou?"

He was smiling; of course, Yu-niisan would be a Fool. Godou then turned to the knight. "Sometime after I first met Yu-niisan, he got into this book about the Tarot. He then started giving me some lessons on them, like their basic meanings and descriptions. The Fool is number 0; potential, adventure, and travel. Zero means nothing, but also the ability to be anything after all."

"Tarot…" Erica murmured. "Hey, Godou. Do you think your brother ever dabbled in magic or anything similar?"

"What? No!" He vehemently shook his head. "And if you ever think of dragging him into the mess that is the supernatural world, trust me, Erica, all I would say is no!"

"Tch. You're such a cheapskate, Godou."

* * *

><p>When Godou returned back home, there was a girl she didn't know in the house. A girl who, somehow managed to get Shizuka to welcome her and was currently chatting with her like they were old friends. A girl who, somehow sparked a bit of recognition within him. But he didn't know her.<p>

"Ah, ignore that. That's probably Oniichan who's arriving with one of his girls again."

"Just like how my Oniichan arrives sometimes with Yosuke-nii?"

"I think it's very far from what you are thinking. Or at least, I wish it is. You have it good though, Yu wouldn't do something like my brother does…"

He only sighed as he entered the living room. "Shizuka, would you mind not talking about me being like a playboy like Grandpa all the time? Erica and Mariya are just friends!" He then turned to the other girl in the room. "Hello, may I know you?"

Shizuka tsked, but the other girl looking around her age only stood and bowed. "It's nice to meet you, Godou-san. My name is-"

She was interrupted when the door opened again and Yu this time walked in. He then uncharacteristically stared blankly at the new person in the house before doing a facepalm. "Nanako… why are you here?"

"Oniichan!" Dojima Nanako ran up to the silver-haired man, enveloping him in a flying hug. Godou felt the inexplicable pang of possessiveness before shaking it off. She had met the man first after all. "I've heard that you're finally back here in Japan, so I packed my stuff and rode the train here. Yosuke-nii helped a lot!"

Yu nodded with a smile, before straightening up and taking out a phone. With a press of a speed-dial, he whispered into it with a scary voice. "_We have to talk_ _later,_ Hanamura-kun."

Godou shook at the tone. He was just happy that it wasn't him this time.

"Nanako…" The silver-haired man then sighed. "Don't you have classes back in Inaba?"

She took a few steps back before sheepishly grinning. "Yosuke-nii and the rest of them helped me transfer in. You're now looking at the newest transfer student of 3 – B, seat number 10. Dad gave me permission, saying: '_As long as it's Yu!'_"

"Hey wait just a minute," Shizuka interjected with wide eyes. "That's my classroom! And the seat behind me!"

Not for the last time, Godou wondered just how his brother figure's friends managed to do something like that. He had descriptions, but they were already years out of date. Plus, his memory of those childhood stories was getting pretty faded.

"So…" The oldest one in the room said weakly, "Starting today, you're staying here as well?"

Nanako nodded brightly. "Yeah! And the rest of them are coming along soon!"

Godou really should've realized just what that meant for him. However, he was then promptly distracted when the call of a certain swordsman Campione arrived through the telephone.

* * *

><p>Whispers. Whispers. Whispers behind his back. Previously, it was glares and stares from jealous classmates. That at least he was used to. But this time, it was worse as it was filled with a kind of awe and wonder. And Godou himself hadn't done anything, really.<p>

"Starting today, I'm your new music teacher. My name is Hanamura Yosuke! Nice to meet you too, Godou!"

When the world's youngest multimillionaire entrepreneur and upcoming-CEO of the Junes Multi-Company entered his class before homeroom, introduced himself as their new teacher, and introduced himself to Godou in particular, he immediately felt his stomach drop. It was the feeling of something very terrible would happen to him soon.

He was proven right when right after the new music teacher exited the room, the Japan's number one policewoman when it came to making arrests immediately replaced his position up front.

"Ahem – how do I start this again, ah right… I would be your PE teacher! I'm Satonaka Chie, and I like meat, kung-fu, and being a policewoman! Huh, why am I here? Well, Leader wanted to teach Godou-kun over here, so I came along! Nice to meet you!"

Why? Why didn't Yu-niisan tell him just _who_ his friends were?

"Hey, have you heard? That idol duo is coming here in Tokyo! Yeah, it's those two who always comes along with the rest of the Team. I can't wait to see Risette!"

"No way, I think Ted's way better than old chirpy Risette."

"Who cares?! IT's finally coming to Tokyo!"

Ah yes. They, the IT, short for Investigation Team. Godou should've connected the stories his brother told him about his team back in Inaba with the same team that was currently the most famous eclectic band of geniuses in history. Nobody actually _why_ they called themselves that, but it was commonly accepted it was due to one of their member's jobs of being a detective.

"I'm heard Kanji-sama's now the Arts-and-Crafts club teacher! I just love his clothes designs and toys, kyaa~"

"I don't know about you girls, but I'm more focused on Yukiko-hime being the Tea Ceremony club teacher now! And I heard she's also the nurse!"

"The White-Red Princess or Kanji-sama? Which club should I enter?!"

"The Detective Queen is in the nearest police station, right? She's always there when the rest of IT is in a single place!"

And all of them, as in all of them, when asked as to why they were here, always answered,

"_Well, we wanted to meet Senpai/Sensei/Partner/Leader's brother, Kusanagi Godou!"_

Why, Yu-niisan, why?

* * *

><p>'Why, Yosuke, why?' Narukami Yu thought to himself as he held back the urge to facepalm in front of his exhausted cousin. While he had no qualms about getting attention, there was such a thing as too much flamboyancy even for him. And the entire IT basically forcing themselves into the school and city, completely ignoring any thought of subtlety, was one of those which managed to faze him.<p>

It was even worse than back then in the Amazonian Rainforests- He shook his head frantically. That _didn't _happen. Nope, it never happened, and he was never ever crowned by the locals as a king because the rest of the gang had the idea of impressing them- nope, that never happened.

He looked back at Godou with a sheepish smile. He had prepared lunch today. "So… do you want to eat lunch together?"

The student didn't manage to open his mouth before another person came in between them. Erica gave him a calculating glance before replying for his brother. "Ah, Narukami-sensei. Godou's already promised to eat with me at the roof. If you want though, you could join in…"

Before Yu could point out that Godou was shaking his head like crazy behind her, he was also interrupted.

"Get out of the way!" Shizuka came running through the door with Yuri in tow. She balked momentarily at the sight of them before shaking her head and pulling her upperclassman in front of her. "O-Oniichan! M-Mariya-sempai's got something to ask you!"

The miko sighed something beneath her breath like 'why do people keep pulling me around' before turning to his brother. "Kusanagi-san, I made lunch today… would you want some?"

Immediately glares were directed towards his brother. Godou noticed them, along with several stares of his female classmates, spoke back weakly. "A-Alright then… Yu-niisan and Erica's already coming along, so let's eat over there…"

"Oniichan!" Another feminine voice came running in. It was Nanako, and she went up to Yu. "Want to eat lunch together?"

"I'm sorry, Nanako." He sheepishly replied. "But I'm eating with Godou today…"

"Then I would join with Godou-niisan!" Nanako nodded, sending the poor Godou a short asking glance. "I can… right?"

"Ah, yeah, I suppose…"

"Yu!" Yosuke came running in the room now. Everyone pretty much gasped when they saw the famous entrepreneur suddenly pull their new homeroom teacher into an arm-hug. "Want to eat- oh, are guys eating together?"

Godou gulped at the sudden shift of stares again from the entire class towards him. "Yeah, I guess… Hanamura-sensei, are you going to join too…?"

His eyes were saying 'Say no, say no, say no!' but Yosuke, being his not-really-that-perceptive best friend, dashed his brother's efforts and nodded. "Yeah! If Yu's coming along, the entire team's coming along! It'll be okay with you with Kanji, Chie, and Yukiko-san's going too, right?"

Oh, lunch's going to be pretty crowded.

People started pressing buttons on their phones like crazy; several girls were already running off to tell their friends of what just happened.

"S-sure…" Godou caved in with a sigh. "So, let's go to the roof, shall we…?"

Everyone stared as they walked away. Yu wouldn't be surprised if everyone in school knew of what happened today by tonight.

* * *

><p>"Godou, eat this as well."<p>

"Wait, let Kusanagi-san swallow his food first, Erica-san!"

"So, Godou, how was it?"

Chewing on the garlic braised pork of his brother, Godou knew that he was in trouble with his sister the moment lunch ended. Somehow, Shizuka had found something to get mad about letting Yu and his friends along for lunch. Erica too, seemed to be of the same thought, as she kept sending short glances over his brother.

Speaking of his brother and his friends though…

"Eh?! She's your brother's girlfriend?! How did that ever happen?"

"Shush, Yosuke. Don't talk like Erica-san isn't here beside us. Yukiko, how do you like the fried tofu?"

"It tastes as wonderful as always, Narukami-kun. Chie's enjoying her pork cutlet too."

"I can see that for myself. Here's some tea, Chie, before you choke on a bone or something."

"Thank you, Leader~!"

One of them suddenly turned to him. He was wearing both high-end clothes and a pair of brown shades, quite frankly making him look like he just arrived from a business party. However, from the lack of comments on their part, it seemed that it was his casual wear, if it could be even called that.

"So, you're Godou?" He asked, revealing a surprisingly easy-going smile for a man who previously looked easy to anger. "My name is Tatsumi Kanji, the new teacher for arts and crafts around here. Nice to meet you."

The name sparked a memory inside Godou. It was when his sister, who was currently gazing starry-eyed at the teacher, was complaining on how it was hard to buy the designer clothes of a certain fashion artist. Tatsumi Kanji, the new upcoming star in the fashion industry, and funnily, the toy industry as well.

Because of that, all Godou could do was stare at him. "Wait… So you're…"

"That fashion artist?" Tatsumi-sensei heaved a sigh, like he was used to being questioned for it. "Yeah, I'm him. Any problem?"

Godou quickly shook his head. "No, no! It's just that it's kinda a little surprising for a guy like you to be specializing in that sort of thing."

Thankfully, the response was well accepted. The bleached-haired teacher smiled for it. "Well, my Ma's the owner of a textile shop back at Inaba. I got used to being around needles and cloth all my childhood. Even got a little alienated for it when I was young too."

Shizuka gasped at that. "Eh?! But your designs and toys are so good too!"

Tatsumi-sensei's eyes softened. "When you're a kid, you tend to dislike those different from you. Girls didn't like it when I sewed something beside them. Guys teased me for doing _girly_ things." He then shook his head. "I ended up hiding my talents until Sempai and the rest came along, and of course, part of the reason I even became famous was due to my connection to them."

"Sempai?" Erica asked beside him. "Is that Narukami-sensei, Godou's brother?"

"'Sempai would always be Sempai.'" The teacher chanted. "Ask anyone else in our team and they have their version of that. Yosuke-sempai still keeps calling Yu-sempai Partner, so we all decided to keep our nicknames ever since Inaba. We also call him Leader, but only Chie-sempai really calls him that frequently. Teddie always calls him Sensei though."

"So you all have respect for him then?" She continued after swallowing down a piece of her lunch. "It's a little weird though… while all of you are famous, I haven't heard of Narukami-sensei at all in the mass media."

"We all have our secrets." Tatsumi-sensei grinned. "Ours is Sempai. Of course, now that we're back here in Japan, it's only alright that we finally let that go. Or else it would be hard to talk to him in public."

"Hey, Kanji!" A new voice came running from the entrance to the school roof, also revealing behind the door more than a dozen interested students who were trying to eavesdrop on their conversations. When they were exposed though, they all ran away, slamming the door behind them. The new arrival only blinked innocently at them before turning back to Godou's surprised brother. "Hey, Rise-chan managed to let me have some free time to visit! Can I join your lunch?"

Yu-niisan looked like he swallowed a lemon before trying to smile. "A-Ah, hello Teddie. Weren't you supposed to be at the other side of town by now?"

"Ah! Sensei!" The blond man came running up to his brother and pulling him into a hug. This time, Godou didn't hold back the rush of possessiveness. When it was Nanako-chan, he could ignore it, but this man… "I missed you! And Nana-chan here too!"

His brother heaved a sigh. "Teddie, you just met me the day before. And you haven't answered my question yet."

"I rode a taxi and sped all the way here, yessir!" The man named Teddie play-saluted. "I have thirty minutes left before I have to go, and I'm spending it by tasting Sensei's food again!"

It went on like that for a few minutes, the new arrival chattering like an excited kid beside his brother. That made Godou's urge to wrangle the man off him slowly fade away, as the interaction between them was more alike to an adult and an excited kid. In fact, Godou found the sight quite similar to the times all those years ago when he was young and Yu-niisan was still a newcomer in his home.

How could he interrupt them, when he knew how much it just meant for both of them?

Tatsumi-sensei sighed beside Godou. "And there you see it. That's our Ted."

"Ted?" Shizuka again looked wide-eyed. "I knew Yu knew a lot of people as his friends, but even _that_ Ted? The _Innocent Beast_, the supermodel Ted?"

"Teddie's as much as part of the IT as I am." The teacher solemnly nodded. "He's even part of the reason why there is an IT in the first place. Yu-sempai was our leader back then, and so Ted really respects him for it. Heck, from what I've heard he was the reason Yu-sempai was the leader in the first place!"

"So Narukami-sensei used to be the leader when you were all teenagers." Erica gave a calculating look at his brother. Godou didn't know what that meant, only that he was against it. "So, who's the current leader? And why didn't it remain the same?"

Tatsumi-sensei sighed. "That story's for another day, but Yosuke-sempai's the current de-facto leader of the Investigation Team. Our Naoto doesn't like it, but then again, he was already the second-in-command back then."

The knight smiled _evilly_. "I see…"

"Don't even think of it, Erica." He sent her a short glare before turning back to the arts teacher, who had a strange look on his face. "It was certainly nice to meet you, Tatsumi-sensei, and thanks for explaining things a bit for me."

"Oh don't worry about it." Tatsumi-sensei waved a hand. They were covered with calluses and scars. "It's just the tip of the iceberg, I tell you. You really haven't known things yet until you talk with everyone else."

That was when the bell rang and announced the end of lunch.

* * *

><p>Mariya Yuri sighed as the day ended and she left for home.<p>

Today was a combination of surprises, brought along by the arrival of Kusanagi Godou's brother. Even her club, Tea Ceremony, was affected when a new teacher arrived and announced herself as their new club adviser.

Demure, elegant, and beautiful with long black hair and red-themed clothes, Amagi Yukiko looked like the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, and had easily fit in the ceremonial preparation of tea along with her and Shizuka. Of course, she began a small conversation between them, asking and answering about their respective friend/brother in the Kusanagi family.

Tagged along with her however, was Dojima Nanako, the 'sister' of Narukami Yu, therefore step-cousin of Kusanagi Godou. She also managed to fit in well with the rituals, easily following the rules with glee.

And the strange thing was, Yuri managed to glean several spiritual signs above them, not unlike the case of Narukami-sensei and his other friends. The image was slightly hazy, like looking through the lens of a frosted telescope, however it was still clear for her to identify them. And that was what made her curious.

She had attempted to 'see' into her other teachers as well beforehand during lunch, when she thought that they couldn't notice her staring. And with her recent attempts to study into the Tarot classifications, she identified them properly this time without Godou's help. All of them had a Tarot symbol above them. Narukami-sensei was the Fool, Hanamura-sensei the Magician, Satonaka-sensei the Chariot, Tatsumi-sensei the Emperor, Teddie-san the Star, and lastly, Amagi-sensei and Nanako-san as the Priestess and Justice respectively.

It was strange that they all managed to fit in so perfectly in the Tarot classifications and that she could 'see' them without sensing anything supernatural.

Amagi-sensei, for example, she could easily imagine her being another priestess in a Shinto shrine, but from what Yuri could tell, she was a completely mundane, if not famous, human. She couldn't detect any presences of magic, but there was still a small thing scratching at the back of her mind that she wasn't seeing everything. Like a fog hiding the brightness of the lighthouse near the sea.

That thought, along with the slight frustration that she never managed to swap phone numbers with Kusanagi-san, was still in Yuri's mind as she arrived at the History Compilation Committee's library at Aobadai.

Amakasu-san had asked her yesterday on the matter of a certain Grimoire, and this time, with the commendation of her recent successes in her Spirit Vision, she had thought to ask him again for another attempt to see into the book and identify its contents.

Of course, before that, the mischievous man had teased her for several minutes on her success in asking Kusanagi-san out for lunch, ignoring the fact that many of the Campione's friends and family tagged along. After pushing in her hands several more… reference materials on how to approach Kusanagi-san, he had rushed off for another meeting.

She had remembered then what had happened to her on the previous attempt, that fainting spell with a strange vision of _that_ Campione… it was a bad omen, especially for her, but she was a Hime-Miko and she had taken on the responsibility of identifying that Grimoire properly. She had to complete her job.

Stepping into the reception hall, Yuri noticed with a slight worry the lack of Compilation personnel around the area. They were at least a few members along this location before, so why was it completely devoid of people this time?

She wandered around the corridors. There were no people.

The reading room on the first floor, she entered with a ball of slight anxiety forming in her chest. Not a soul.

The stairs that previously had at least a single person coming down or going up were also void of any personnel.

And the guide that was promised to her in the place of Amakasu-san also never did arrive…

Not just a little unnerved, Yuri ran up the stairs, looking for any person she could meet, she could talk to that would tell her that there was just something that caused this strange _emptiness_ in the building. Going as fast as she could, she burst into the second floor reading room.

And then she saw. Like perverse effigies of human beings, more than a dozen pillars of salt stood all around the room. Like the effigies they were, they looked human, horrified people with faces of those who stared into the eyes of the Devil. And they were all staring into the center of the room, mouths agape as they failed to scream before they faced their ends.

At the center of the room, a tall old man belying a wisened appearance smiled at her arrival. At his side, was a female knight looked torn out of a fairytale.

"Finally found you, Hime-Miko."

That moment, Yuri's heart dropped cold. He could be here, he _shouldn't_ be here, she was promised that-

"Miko, from now on you belong to me, and become part of my property. Understood?"

Her legs collapsed in fear and she fell to her knees. This couldn't be true, shouldn't be true, but it _was_ true. Now.

To meet Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, the First Campione and closest to being the Devil King of them all again, all after the meager length of four years… Inside her heart, Yuri screamed.

* * *

><p>"<em>That man is here, Senpai.<em>"

"I felt it too. Any idea as to why?"

"_I don't know myself, but there's something I know. Mariya Yuri-san… she's in danger!"_

A hand slammed to the nearest wall. Thankfully, nobody was there to see it break apart into fine powder.

"Damn it… We'll talk later, together as a team."

"_I'll tell them as well, Sempai!_"

"Yeah…" The man who broke the wall with a single punch sighed. His silver hair glimmered in the light of the setting sun. "Tell them, thanks for coming along with me all this time again. You as well, Rise."

"_Don't worry about it, Yu-sempai! Now then, where should we meet…"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Only 12 K words… *sigh* Writing longer chapters is difficult. <strong>

**I had the timeline and I PLAYED IT! It wasn't planned however, as it was more of a random thing.**

**Haha! Those who get the joke to Erica and Yuri's scene, please… do tell of your reactions. I love reviews. As for those truly slow or innocent who didn't, well the term for pitcher and catcher for baseball is 'seme' and 'uke', respectively. They are, however, also used by yaoi fangirls to classify the *ahem*_positions_*ahem* in the intercourse process. After that, the rest should make some sense.**

**The baseball match is actually canon for that timeline, for those who don't remember, and would be where Erica, Godou, and Yuri would be if it weren't for Godou fainting in homeroom. When I ended up writing the discussion for it for the first time, I realized the wonderful_ potential_ and couldn't resist.**

**The information on the Kusanagi family and home comes from the light novels as well, for those who don't recognize them, and while kid!Godou and kid!Shizuka is mostly original to me, Chiyo their grandmother is from what I managed to understand of her character in the small snippets that mention her. In fact, now I like her character so much I'm weeping over the fact that she died. younger!Ichirou the grandfather is also based on how I expect him to be before his wife died and as well as on his references to her.**

**The Arcana lines (Devil, Temperance, Star, Moon) actually mean little in the story though, other than being flavor text and my personal classifications between the characters. Yu had maxed out all of his Links already after all. So don't be surprised if multiple people end up sharing a single Arcana.**

**The Lunch Scene as well brought along huge problems with it, as I'm still unused to large conversations. I had to choose as to who would speak to Godou then, and surprise surprise, our dear Kanji took the chance. Yosuke and the rest didn't want to stop eating after all…**

**References:**

**^ - Steven Hawking ΅ - Nikujaga is a kind of beef-stew.**

*** - CNN **

**Merry Christmas everyone! (_)**

**"**_Ah, reviews and favs~/ All a brand-new author craves~/ To feed the… babes? (*'o_o)"_

- _ReaderDreamer (and failed poet XD)_


	3. Enemies

**AN: Cookies! Ohm-nom-nom-nom…**

**And the plot thickens for the past.**

**It was an accident that I ended the last chapter with a cliffhanger. Really. An. Accident. :)**

**I only realized when you guys suddenly reviewed about it. Haha! So this is what it feels like to be on the other side of the cliffhanger. It makes me rather guilty to follow through with my planned cliff-hanger this time… I have a penchant for the dramatic, so don't sue me!**

**I actually feel like I'm juggling three timelines instead of two; Yu's experiences are of a completely different vein to those of his friends. While they are essentially trying to escape Inaba – though escape is quite the strong word – he's busy on starting to cope to life in Tokyo with the Kusanagi family. Plus something else… Kufufufufu!**

**P4 Golden is still not part of my fic… but I have several ideas. Also, the first to find to not-so-concealed pun of at least one of the names will get cookies! Cyber cookies, but still cookies!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the plot. That's why I will twist it topsy-turvy… It will be so twisted, that even my sister's hair is no compare! (Nononononono- don't kill me, I was just jokin-) **_Why do I keep dying in my disclaimers?_

**Chapter 2: Enemies**

* * *

><p><strong>Past:<strong>

** "_Believe in us, and in humans. We swear to never give in!" _**

- **_Rakuu Namiya in the popular novel series, _****Into The Fog**** _by_ Marche Heir**

Contrary to their plans, Yosuke and the rest of the team weren't able to go to Yu immediately after they graduated.

Instead, they faced the backlash of such a rushed decision. Parents suddenly decided to enter the lives of their children again, as they were just as suddenly acclaimed as geniuses. Friends and teachers, no matter how little they actually interacted with them in school, suddenly wanted to talk to them, to ask as to why they 'hid' their abilities.

Others though, raised rumors and more problems for the IT, as they whispered theories about conspiracies, ranging from being hidden super secret spies to simply cheating as a group in the exams.

Yosuke and Yukiko had it worst, as some of their parents were the most difficult to work around with, either overly-worrying over them or trying to railroad them into _their_ old dreams.

"What do you mean you're going on vacation?! Yosuke, listen here. School year's only started for college, so if we hurry, we can pull some strings for you to take an exam to Tokyo University!"

"Yukiko, are you sure you'll be safe? I'm worried; what if something happens? No… it's best for you to just stay here in Inaba."

After another grueling afternoon, Yosuke slumped facedown on his pillow. Lucky Teddie, he never had to face problems like this!

Beside him then, his phone rang. Picking up the call without looking at the name, he hoped that it wouldn't be another from the increasingly worrying amount of hatemail and prankcalls.

"Ah, Hanamura-senpai. How was your day?"

He straightened up. "Wait! Is this you, Naoto?!"

"Why do you sound so surprised, Hanamura-senpai?" The detective asked dryly on the other side of the call, probably finding a bit of amusement from his reaction. "Didn't you check who called first before you picked up?"

"Too lazy…" He rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly before he realized Naoto couldn't see. "So. You've finally called me for the first time. And here I was, worrying about it, because apparently even _Teddie_ managed to get a call from you before me."

"Is that so?" Yosuke was sure he heard a slightly indulgent tone there… "I'm sure then, that he hadn't told you that he was the one who started those calls then?"

"I _knew_ it, that damned bear…" He grumbled beneath his breath. If it weren't for the fact it was the time he gave Teddie that phone of his allowed them to find out about Nanako's kidnapping, he would've wished it hadn't happened. "So, why did you call me again?"

"I wanted to ask you about your day, Hanamura-senpai."

"Ah, that." He grimaced at the still-formal name. "You can call me Yosuke, you know. And my day's been _absolutely_ terrific. My mom still tells me how proud she is of me, and my dad's been busy trying to force me into university. Yeah, _terrific_."

"No need to be so sarcastic, _Yosuke_-sempai." Naoto was rolling her eyes then, Yosuke knew. "Yukiko-sempai is also of the same token. Her mother seems to be excessively protective of her and refuses to even let her go on a week-long trip; so that's why her dungeon was like that? And I thought I had problems with my family."

"You sound really annoyed for some reason, Naoto."

"I'm not annoyed. I'm only slightly miffed because I had already packed my bags for a short trip, and suddenly we have to delay because of your parents. Why hadn't you told me earlier? I could've done something to convince them as well, but now Yukiko-sempai's problems need to be settled first before yours. Any ideas on how to solve them?"

"No." He sounded defeated. While he was the second-command, it was always Yu who thought of the solutions. And Yosuke didn't want to worry his partner anymore than he had to. "Yukiko-san, huh? Do you think we could somehow talk Ms. Amagi around, tell her that we can protect Yukiko-san ourselves? Chie being there would help too, as she knows her already."

There was a short pause on the other side, like Naoto stopped herself from saying something before finally speaking again. "That wouldn't work. If only we could cover-up the trip to be something more than just a vacation, and in the same time be grounds for allowing all of us to go. That would help, a lot."

"I don't know, Naoto. I don't know."

But soon enough, they realized they wouldn't have to. The combined Luck of eight supernaturally powered people was after all, something not to be ignored.

* * *

><p>Rise groaned, her eyes with bags beneath them, as she slumped in her seat at their 'secret base' in Junes. Beside her was Kanji, who had, under some convincing by Yu, taken to knitting in public to further change his image. He was already known for his dolls and that incident with the kid, so why not take it further? It wasn't like that there was anyone who would attempt to belittle him anymore, and not to mention, unlike when he was a kid, he already had friends who had accepted worse as a part of him.<p>

"Rise-chan, why didn't you sleep?"

Teddie poked a bit at her mostly-catatonic body before jumping away a bit when she sent him a glare. It eased though, when she saw him had a can of Quelorie Magic on hand for her. Now that was something to smile for.

"Thanks for this Teddie…" She took the can before opening it to drink. Say what you want about her advertising the product a year ago, but she _actually_ liked the drink, and Yukiko-sempai was of the same opinion. It was healthy at least, unlike Dr. Salt NEO. "I was stressed a lot yesterday night because of my suddenly overzealous fans, so I decided to go websurf for a bit."

"I would've thought you were smarter than losing sleep over that, Rise." Kanji commented beside her, raising his watchful eye from the latest knitting project in his hands. It was going to be the first piece of his planned scarves for the entire IT, starting with Yu first. Streamed with the colors silver, black, and white, it already looked rather visually appealing. "But then again, there's something else there, isn't it?"

"I kinda literally entered the world-wide web last night, I think."

Unluckily, that was the moment Yosuke walked in to their conversation, and he was also drinking a can of soda. Apparently, surprise with the excessively fizzy beverage that was the Dr. Salt NEO was the recipe for a perfect spit-take.

Teddie clapped. "Wow, Yosuke! That was quite the beary pronounced reaction!"

"S-shut i-it, b-bear…" The brunet managed to choke out, along with most of the fluid in his windpipe. With tears in his eyes from the pain of a saline liquid in his nose, he turned to Rise. "N-now, Rise, w-what were you s-saying again?"

"Too tired to explain now…" The idol murmured before blinking as she suddenly felt much rejuvenated. "Wait, what happened? Now I'm not sleepy at all."

Kanji pointed a finger beside her. It was Teddie again, and his hand was glowing as he held her shoulder.

"Probably used [Energy Shower] then?"

The blond nodded cheerily before jumping in joy. "Yatta! It worked, and now Rise-chan doesn't look like a zombie anymore!"

Rise's eyebrow twitched a bit at that. "I should be thanking you for the help, but then again that comment…" She shook her head, deciding to simply ignore it. She then turned back to the direction of her senpai. "So, Yosuke-sempai, have you recovered now- wait, no, someone's going to-"

Before he could recognize her warning however, in his attempts to simultaneously blink away the pain and find something to wipe away the soda on his face, Yosuke managed to move quite a bit of distance away and into the pathway.

He then walked into someone, knocking both of them backwards.

"Ah!" Yosuke gasped as he landed not so nicely on his back. He still managed to apologize however. "Sorry about that…"

"There isn't much need to worry, boy." The person replied as he also picked himself up, brushing off some of the dirt that stuck on his pants. "You were in pain earlier… are you alright? That wasn't a good landing."

"I'm fine; my drink just came down the wrong pipe."

The man laughed uproariously at that before holding out a hand to help up Yosuke. "I could imagine. But seriously, are you alright? That had to bruise a bit."

"Nah, I'm alright." The Hanamura waved it off; if there was one thing he knew now, he didn't bruise _that_ easily. He took the help though, and recovered his position. By that time, the other three had already walked up to both of them. "You don't look familiar; a visitor?"

"You can say that." The man replied, almost flamboyantly fixing the creases away from his clothes. Yosuke had no qualms on that action; they looked incredibly costly, so he was probably heading to a meeting before Yosuke had knocked into him. "I feel like I should ask for your names, and my intuition has always been correct. So, who are you guys then?"

Rise blinked beside him. She had thought a single glance at her would've made him recognize her, but then again she wasn't wearing makeup. And he was asking for all of them anyway. So, with a nudge, she signaled Yosuke to answer.

"Ah," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm Yosuke Hanamura, and they're my friends Rise, Kanji, and Teddie. May I ask for your name as well?"

Strangely, the man had a smile on his face. "I see… Well, my name is Kojin Endarasu. Nice to meet you all."

Kojin then shook all of their hands, the smile still on his face, before spinning on one heel to face another direction. "I was going somewhere, so I have to go now. I have a feeling we'll all meet again, so let's hope it happens soon. Bye!"

"Huh, that was strange." Yosuke murmured as the man left.

Rise blinked twice before her face turned to shock. Shaking, she placed a hand over her closest Senpai. "Yosuke-sempai… You should thank the gods that man didn't get angry…"

"Huh?" He turned to the idol, confused. "What is there a reason for me to be scared of Kojin-san?"

"A man of wealth, and apparently the Luck of 66. Years ago he had singlehandedly founded a single company, and just recently branched out to Inaba after placing many of his buildings all over Japan. Yosuke-sempai, you just attracted the attention of your dad's _boss,_ the owner of** Junes**."

* * *

><p>In the same time, somewhere else in Inaba, Ms. Amagi received a call.<p>

"Hello, this is the Amagi Inn. Yes? A single room? May I ask for your name?" Several nods after, she was already writing the arrangement down. "Thank you for calling. Please come later in the evening."

"Ah, Amagi-san, is it something related to our children?"

She shook her head before returning a smile. "Don't worry, it's only work-related. Now, you were saying?"

These meetings had, in fact, started months ago, behind the backs of the people who were the reasons for why it even began. Sometimes, it happened in other houses, with them just talking about their observations. Several parents were also not included, if only for the fact that they had certain aggressions on several of their members.

This time, it was inside the Amagi Inn, if only for the fact that she couldn't go too far away from her work at the moment.

Hanamura-san heaved a sigh beside her, her long brown hair tumbling over her face.

"I feel like Yosuke's even getting farther away from me nowadays…" She looked sadly at her locket. Inside it was a photo of an eight-year old brunet boy. "I thought that now he's more at home without school, he could spend some time with me more, but he's trying even harder to get away from us these days…"

"Dear," Tatsumi-san placed a cup of tea beside the miserable woman. "It isn't your fault. Kanji-kun's been telling me about it, and it's your husband who is the cause here. He's been pushing the boy way too much, trying to force him to do something he doesn't want to do. Not without his friends at least."

The poor woman made a weak, but still happy, smile at that.

"Ah yes, his friends." Hanamura-san closed the locket, along with her eyes. The inn manager could empathize with her; when she had found out that her dear Yukiko had finally branched out beyond Chie-chan – as a kind girl she was, her Yukiko needed more friends – she was also overjoyed beyond belief. For someone of the Hanamura family, whose social status in Inaba can be only called abysmal, it probably meant a lot more to them that their son had made friends.

On the mother's side, at least. Mr. Hanamura only seemed to be interested in further raising his economic status.

"Rise-chan's been smiling more nowadays as well." Kujikawa-san added her two cents. The tofu-maker was an old business relation, years before they started meeting like this, but it was only recently that Ms. Amagi could really say they were friends. Yes, as well as the rest of the parents with her now, if only because they started meeting for the sake of understanding their children.

That was the crux of the matter. They, along with the rare visits of Yakushiji-san, the butler of the Shirogane family, had held multiple gatherings like this one in order to watch over their children. It had started when Yukiko returned after disappearing for a long while, sick of an unknown cause, making her walk to Junes the moment she recovered.

They had convened and told each other what little they knew, and then Tatsumi-san came, then Kujikawa-san, until they realized that in their goals of finding more about their children's friends, they made friends of their own. Chie-chan would've had her parents in the group, if they weren't only…

She shook her head. No use on mourning over ghosts long past.

"But there was a time when all she did the moment she arrived home was cry."

There was a moment of silence. Ms. Hanamura murmured, "It was on March 21, wasn't it?"

The only grandmother in the room nodded. "Yes, it was when that Yu-kun left Inaba."

Another moment of silence. All of them already had realized of that fact.

"Kanji-kun also locked himself in his room that day." Tatsumi-san looked a little weary at the memory. "The next afternoon, beside his bed was a new doll. It was of a person, and had silver hair." Everyone understood what she meant then. "Why did he have to go away, away to a pair of parents who had unceremoniously _dumped_ him without care here in Inaba, only to tear him when he finally made friends?"

'Why tear him away from their children?' went unsaid, but they all knew of it. They all knew of him, the bowl-cut teenager who had helped their children come in terms with their problems, and the one who was the reason all of them were even friends.

"He was mentioned, you know?" The wife of the Junes manager added. "He was mentioned, just before they all decided to graduate early. Yosuke came home that night with a fierce determination in his eyes. I knew that again, it was Yu-kun that got him out of what could've grown into a full-on depressive time."

Again, more words went unspoken. 'Like when Saki Konishi died.'

"And now there's this trip." Ms. Amagi finished for them. "They all did it, for the sake of that boy. And I don't know whether I could really trust them with my Yukiko, no matter how long they have been friends by now. After all, with the way they all met…"

It was still in their minds what was the real reason behind their friendship. Aside for Chie and Yosuke, the rest of the group their children had had met under one circumstance. They had become friends only after being kidnapped. And the ones who also found them days after they had disappeared were also the ones that had been in the group beforehand. And Chie had already been friends with Yukiko in the past; Yosuke being of the same token as they also knew he was Yu's _first friend_.

It led to the questions on what exactly happened on those days, and what induced the sickness that their children seemed to come down with when they finally returned home, but they all tried to not force their children to answer. Needless to say, even now they hadn't received them. And with the fact that, for some unknown reason, their children were now _geniuses_ even though only months before some of them were half-crying over exams…

Their Investigation Team, as what they knew their children called themselves, now had a dark shadow over it. And it unsettled them greatly.

"Amagi-san," Kujikawa-san finally spoke, minutes after a long silence, "All I know is that-"

She was interrupted when one of the shoji doors suddenly opened, allowing one of the inn workers to enter. The kitchen cook looked entirely frazzled, but he only took a second before he gasped out as best as he could what he had to tell.

"M-Madam, t-there's been a scene in the Shopping District, and Y-Yukiko-sama and her friends are there as well!"

The manager immediately stood, and the other parents also did the same. "What was the reason? I know Yukiko wouldn't do anything without a reason."

The cook gingerly turned to the Hanamura mother. "That Junes kid," he said slowly, sounding like he had problems accepting it as well, "he's trying to save it. He's trying to save the Shopping District."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Yu was in a café in Tokyo, trying it out over the recommendation of a certain Kusanagi Ichirou.<p>

The old man had proved to his first impression, mixing in between lessons of various mythologies stories of his… sexual exploits before he met his beloved Chiyo. Nothing too graphic, only telling him of several of his successes over winning over many women, but it was still quite an _experience_. Somehow, even Sayoko seemed tame compared to the old Kusanagi.

Still, when Yu had been beyond a little disappointed over the fact his friends would be delayed, the old man had picked up on it. Quite an amazing feat as well, as Yu knew beyond doubt that he betrayed very little of his emotions, especially around Godou and Shizuka. Ichirou-jiisan only took a look at him before placing a list of places in his hands and not-too-subtly pushing him out the door.

The café's name, _Into The Rabbit Hole_, proved fitting as the moment he entered he was introduced into a strange cavalcade of Victorian influence in the smack dab middle of Tokyo, mixed alongside a bit of slight _madness._ Various men, women, and children were laughing and cheering at each other, teacups clinking as they cheered beneath the sound of a slightly parodied slow version of a birthday song.

Yu of course, took to it with little bother, already being used to strangeness because of the TV World. If anything, if the greens, blues, reds, and purples of the café were replaced with simple blue velvet, it would've been a lot more casual version of the Velvet Room.

"We don't serve alcoholic drinks here."

He turned to the only barista of the huge café, as there was a distinct lack of other workers in the vicinity. However, Yu could only see little beyond the behind of the young-looking man, as he was busy fixing something beneath the opposite counter.

"I'm actually looking for coffee…"

The green-striped behind only made a jerk, and a sound of 'ow' was heard. "Ah, sorry about saying that then. People keep coming here thinking it's that kind of place."

Yu held back the urge to chuckle. Nevermind his first meeting with Godou, this one was comparable to that of Yosuke's. The Hanamura had, after all, first spoke to him from inside the walls of a trashcan. "Perhaps it's because of the atmosphere around here?"

"They're drunk from cheer, not beer…" The man grumbled, his erratic motions slowing down as he probably finished what he was doing, revealing his appearance. Large green top-hat with a costume more appropriate for a play than serving in a café, he made for quite the look. Finally coming up to face Yu, he was holding a bag of coffee beans as he murmured, "So, from the sound of your voice, a teen. I think I have the recipe for that coffee around here…"

When his eyes finally concentrated on the bemused Yu's face, he immediately dropped the bag back to one of the containers. "Nope, not for you. Definitely not for you."

"Too late," Yu finally let out the chuckle. "Now I'm interested. What were you talking about, anyway?"

The barista pointed upwards, towards the menu above him. "One of the favorite items around here. I've bought off the recipe from some of my business associates and ever since then people, especially teens, keep buying it by the loads. Apparently, it had been famous on their island that it could somehow increase the charm of the drinker…"

So that's why he was introduced here… "And why do you think it's definitely not for me?"

The man deadpanned. "Who do you think you're kidding? If it's true, then drinking a single cup of Pheromone Coffee would get you jumped. By women. I'm not risking a fight over something like that in my café, so don't even think of ordering one. You're already banned."

Yu laughed. "That quickly?"

A roll of the eyes. "Don't get too pleased. Anyways, we still have other drinks around here, plus some snacks. So, are you buying any?"

"I think I'll simply have whatever you think is best." He nodded, already peering into the drinks of the other people around him. They were interesting, to say the least. Some he could see having various accessories that came along, curls of candy hanging beside sticks of peppermint dipped into various cakes. "I sure hope it would be good."

"I'll be sure to serve well, Your _Highness_."

* * *

><p>The cake was splendid, as well was the coffee that was served along with it.<p>

"Compliments to the chef." Yu murmured, before sending the still-disgruntled barista a smile. "Or is it you?"

"Me indeed." The man replied with a sigh beside him, taking a seat for a short rest. He was finally out of orders to do. It was quite amazing to watch, really. You don't really know the meaning of 'busy' until you see a single man juggle over twenty orders in a row, some of them quite literally as they had to be accompanied with a stunt before being delivered to the customers. "Thanks for the compliment though."

"You only deserved it." He quickly replied. "Making something like that with one hand is amazing, especially because the other hand is making pancakes."

"Thank god for being ambidextrous." The barista finally let out something other than tiredness or annoyance, a small chuckle that revealed a less caustic personality beneath the worker. "So, what's your name? I have this record around here of my customers…"

"Narukami Yu. Yours?"

"Eugeo." The man finally told him. "Just call me Eugeo."

"Eugeo it is." Yu nodded, wondering a little as to why he had no surname, and as to why he had such a strange name for someone who seemed entirely Japanese. But out of simple courtesy, he didn't ask.

Eugeo then glanced at the book in his hands. "Hmmm, judging from that, you're probably somebody Ichirou-san knows?"

"You know of him?" It was actually quite surprising he recognized him from something as simple as a mythology book. "He was actually the one who vouched for this café."

"He does that pretty often, especially with students." The barista revealed with a small sigh, edged with a sort of long-suffering exasperation. "And I thought that since he retired, I didn't have to worry about anymore wannabe gigolos in my shop. But then again, you don't really need the Pheromone Coffee…"

"Wasn't it good that you have more customers?"

Eugeo rolled his eyes again beneath flaxen hair. "Do I look like I need _more_ customers?"

"Actually no." Yu said rather bluntly, hiding away a small smile with a sip of his coffee.

"Case and point." The owner of the café stood before he bowed pretentiously for dramatic effect. He then spun on one foot to return to his duties. "Well, goodbye for now. Don't stay too long; my café closes at six."

It was great for Yu that he turned away, as he would've been witness to the rare sight of the normally composed teen gaping. He had, after all, seen something he had never really expected to see anymore ever since he left Inaba.

Behind the leaving Eugeo's back, he could see a single tarot card visible only to him. It portrayed a single man, holding a staff and wearing a pair of curved shoes and a hat, surrounded by four smaller animals. The familiar voice in his head then spoke in its loud ominous tone:

**"Thou art I… I am thou… You have established the Café Owner Social Link of the Jester Arcana. May the bond of the Jester guide you in your journey…"**

"Huh." Was all the he could say the moment he calmed down. "Well, that was a surprise."

* * *

><p>"I'm home…"<p>

Immediately after Yu said the customary phrase, the sound of rushing footsteps announced the rather warm reception of one of the kids of the house.

Of course, namely: Godou.

"Welcome home, Yu-san!" The boy merrily yelled before attempting to tackle him. However, his feet missed the ledge by an inch, causing him to go off balance. Yu took the moment to wonder whether clumsiness was hereditary as he grabbed Godou, his face safe from meeting the floor unceremoniously by a mere inch.

With a tug at the boy's shirt, he lifted Godou to face-height. "So, what was that for?"

He asked as flatly as he could, causing the boy to flush in embarrassment again. "L-let me go!"

"Alright." Just as unceremoniously, he released his grip on the shirt, causing Godou to yelp. Yu associated the fact his arm wasn't even the slightest bit tired to the results of his Personas affecting his physiology like Rise said. "Here you go."

The boy landed nimbly on his feet, only to keep his face looking down. It only took a moment for the older teen to poke a finger on his forehead, forcing him to look upwards. Yep, the kid was definitely blushing out of embarrassment.

"Muuu~ Why do I always keep doing that…"

Yu chuckled. "Like I said, don't worry; I've seen worse."

"That isn't really that comforting…" Godou grumbled before looking away. His low cheer was short-lived though, as he was already hopping on his feet by the moment they reached the living room. Yu had the slightest suspicions that the cookies he had baked before he left were eaten by a single suspect. "So! Can you tell me more about Inaba?"

"Don't sound too excited." He replied with a small smile. "Alright, so what did I tell you last time then?"

It had been for a while now that Yu had started telling stories about his other home to the young Kusanagi children, Shizuka rarely staying for long. Godou on the other hand, found the small town incredibly fascinating, asking a lot more than he had ever expected to be asked, especially for such a 'boring' town like Inaba.

Then again, from him, it probably didn't sound boring, as he practically saw his time in Inaba as the most exciting year he ever had. Happiest too, and little compared to ending a year by defeating a goddess in disguise. Of course, he hadn't told anything about the case to the young boy.

"You were telling me about the weapon shop! But then again, even I know buying weapons is against the law now."

Yu was almost tempted then and there to take out one of his swords. It was a simple matter after all, with what Teddie had done for him.

The bear was really good at making law-defying things like their glasses and several of their usable items. The moment Yu opened his tenth chest in Yukiko's Castle, practically overstuffing his and Yosuke's pockets, the bear took out a small pouch of unidentifiable cloth, easily swallowing all of their items, and later, excess weapons. It was a good thing too, as they soon found out when several of their latest weapons couldn't be hid beneath their clothes without accidentally cutting themselves in the process.

When Kanji soon came along, he had been willing enough to replace at least one pocket in each of their clothes with the same material, allowing all of them access to their single inventory without even needing to talk to each other. Naoto really made quite the funny expression the first time he took out a longsword out of his pocket in front of her. It was a feat worthy of a certain robotic cat mascot.

He managed to hold back the urge to do it though, and decided to simply change the subject.

"Hmm, want me to tell you about the local shrine then? It's probably more interesting than the shop."

Godou sat down excitedly, his face completely expectant of a good story. That was probably a 'Yes'.

"Alright it first started when I visited the place in my free time…"

Yu smiled as he regaled a tale about a single scarred fox who wanted to save her shrine, practically entailing him to fulfill the wishes left behind by the rare comer, ranging from simply giving a leaf to an old man to catching the local river legend for the old fishing enthusiast. He told of a single girl who made the decision of confessing to her love after she made a mistake with his locker, and of how he taught another how to finally make friends.

His voice was suitably dramatic when he told of the sad stories of the kid who used to lack friends and of the man who lost his reason to live. He told of how in the end it wasn't the sticker or the completed model that really fulfilled their wishes, that it was the result of their own decision and actions.

He laughed with Godou over the engaged man who screamed over a kitten licking his fingers, only to later declare his love for them, and the boy nodded seriously when Yu warned him of losing money by telling him the story of the lady who lost her wallet.

He loved Inaba really, and it was showing in his voice. The town was his first home, and judging from his experiences here so far in Tokyo, perhaps it would be his second.

"Ehhh?! The old decrepit shrine is now in shining gold?!"

Yu nodded proudly. It was mostly his actions that made it that way after all. "And the fox has now three kits. Before I left, she jumped off the roof of the shrine with them to say goodbye to me. I wonder how she is now…"

Should he call Yosuke to check? After all, it's been a month already and there was probably no one fulfilling the ema for her nowadays.

Seeing that Godou was still shell-shocked, Yu only shook his head and stood to go the kitchen. He was feeling thirsty from speaking for so long now, and he could have for a glass of water. Pressing a speed-dial on his phone, he waited for Yosuke to pick up his call as he filled a glass by the sink.

"Ah, so you finally finished talking to Godou?" Chiyo-baasan called out from across the counter as she watched television. "Thanks for doing that for us, the boy's been feeling a little bored recently."

"I enjoy it too," he smiled as he waited for the call to connect. When it didn't he repeated the action, this time frowning a bit when it failed again. Was Yosuke busy over something? His shift at his job was supposed to be over by now. "And it's not like it's the first time I took care for those younger than me."

"You really are a nice boy." The old woman shook her head merrily before turning worried over something she saw in the news channel. "Oh my…"

"What is it, Chiyo-baasan?" He walked to her side to peek at what she was watching. Unluckily, the moment his eyes focused over the image he already started drinking. For the second time that week, a member of the would-be-famous IT made a spit-take.

At that moment, while a worried Chiyo started fussing over her suddenly choking almost-grandson, a single image was displayed over the television screen, with a caption beneath it in large, bold, golden-lettered font.

The enlarged photo of Hanamura Yosuke was placed over one single line.

**[[Genius Teenager and His Friends Challenge Multimillionaire To Save Their Hometown!]]**

Thus, the wheel of fate spins on.

* * *

><p><strong>Present:<strong>

"_SHOCKING NEWS!_

_Kujikawa Rise is returning to the showbiz scene, and is bringing along a new guy from her hometown as a work partner! Imagine our surprise when this 'Ted' suddenly came and danced and sang with our super-idol! And somehow, he convinced their manager to go on a worldwide tour!_

_We've did our research, and no one can tell on who 'Ted' is. Is he a childhood friend?! A secret boyfriend?! Turn to page 19 for the latest info!"_

_ - _**An excerpt from Japan Idols!, from 4 ½ years ago.**

Erica bit her lip.

Like she had expected, the conversation between her Godou and Sasha Voban was going awry. Not that there was any chance for it to go in a different way; as much as she loved Godou, he really was too righteous compared to the older Campione, making it very difficult for them to agree on anything. It was even lucky that they were allowed this conference, she thought to herself, as surely it was within Voban's abilities to fight them from afar.

Or make them fight _her_, Erica thought as she shifted her gaze to an old friend/enemy.

Liliana Kranjcar , the proud knight of the Bronze Black Cross, her very own counterpart in many ways. Unlike Erica who had changed into less eye-catching clothes ever since she had arrived in Japan, she was still wearing her uniform. A cape of blue and black, no doubt made of the most magic-conductive silk, and a battle outfit of the same colors fully enchanted and charmed for maximum movement and protection.

Not that the magic hewn in the skirts was enough for Erica, who simply tore them away whenever she wanted to.

Apparently, Lily was also her counterpart in the more _fantastical _realms of imagination.

"He said, '_It was a night I will never forget for the rest of my life. I absolutely cannot forget the night so passionate like a dream, and blindingly bright as summer fireworks. I offered my all to him, and he responded with everything he had. At that time, it felt like the world only contained the two of us, and all else was irrelevant.' _

I am not qualified to comment on two Kings having that kind of immoral relationship, but if permissible, what I wish to say is, those kinds of impure actions with Erica are very unhealthy for a male. As for this kind of dishonest two-timing behavior... Ah, please forget what I just said._"_

"Don't just jump into conclusions; we were just fighting!"

Now, didn't that situation sound familiar?

Godou's face was really amusing in front of such an accusation, she thought. Probably, remembering the earlier event regarding his brother, his expression was portrayed in such an image consisting of both long-suffering and embarrassment. It wasn't everyday that he was accused of _consorting_ with other men, yet it already had happened twice within the week.

Perhaps there was more truth to her theory than she originally thought. Kusanagi Godou was really meant to be a King – in a way, as many kings were famed for their _diverse_ romantic history.

Shaking her head of such silly notions not meant for such a serious situation, Erica turned back to the older Campione in the room, frustratingly calm in face of her Godou. In fact, he almost seemed bemused, like he was simply watching an interesting child vent out his frustrations that ultimately, meant nothing at all to him.

Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, the 1st Campione. He was named a Marquis, and kept an immaculately wisened appearance. And he was by no means _noble_ in all of its meanings.

The one closest to being a Devil King, a tyrant, a murderer, a thief proud enough to steal in plain sight, all of it because it was within his authority as a Campione. Many stories about him were already made in his old age, but none of them were good. Like the Wolf, he plundered and killed the 'pig', destroying any and everything in his path to his goals.

And this time, it was her Godou.

"What do you mean 'sacrifice'?! Don't joke around, if you want to summon a god, do it yourself! Go away and fight your god somewhere else!"

To tell the truth, even she believed that as of the moment, Kusanagi Godou withstood little chance to defeat Voban. He was meant for great things, she knew, but as he currently was, the older Campione remained stronger out of the mere fact he was better in every factor compared to Godou.

He had more authorities. He had more experience as a Campione. He had many things more, even a sharper mind, and so, Godou wouldn't be able to defeat him. Even the Sword would matter little, she knew, as it wouldn't be enough to cut away all of Voban's authorities.

Simply, she entered this place with the hope Godou would somehow convince the tyrant with their familiar stations.

"Youngster, this is a gathering of kings. I apologize for the rudeness of entering your territory without consent. However, do not mistakenly believe that your words can change my intentions. If you request something from a fellow King, should you not prepare to pay the price?"

Godou stood still, his glare still on the older Campione. "Price?"

"It is simple. She is a mere means to summon a Heretic God, so bring me a Heretic God in exchange for her. Or at least, another one as capable as this girl that I could use in my ritual. Without that, there would be no exchange, and I will simply go on like this never happened."

He hesitated. Seeing this, Erica was about to walk between the two Campione, a small meager plan blooming in her mind.

It was foolish, but she hoped it would be enough.

As of the moment, there was truly little chance for things to be settled peacefully, but perhaps the name of Salvatore would suffice. Even though she knew that it could even create a worse situation, she had to take the risk.

She didn't want Godou to fight here and now. Not immediately, at least.

"I-"

She was interrupted when a loud mental voice filtered through all of their minds.

_"So, what you want is a great battle then?"_

As a thick magical fog suddenly filled the reading room, covering all of the people within it, along with the pillars that were once men and women, a human-shaped figure slowly formed beside Godou.

No distinguishing detail could be seen, all expanse of skin and hair covered by the mist. Not even a gender could be confirmed, as the edges of the shadow's outline were hidden by the same magical phenomenon. Nothing other than the shape of a human wearing white robes.

But those very robes spoke of a very **_divine_** power. Not only that, the fact that telepathy had managed to reach the two Campione, as Godou revealed by turning in surprise, meant that whoever was using it had the power to pierce through the high magical resistance of the Devil Kings.

"_Leave the young Campione and the girl; I will bring you the fight you wish."_

There was only one conclusion for Erica.

A [Heretic God].

* * *

><p>Mariya Yuri's worst nightmares had come to life.<p>

Not only was it that her past tormentor, the very Campione whose actions had scarred her four years ago, in her country, for the first time in Japan's written history that she knew, two Campione were in a single place within it.

Arguing before the arrival of a [Heretic God].

She trusted Kusanagi Godou; she really did, she had wished for the boy that she had recently befriended to never come save her for his own sake, but she also knew one crucial thing that was an unfortunate fact about him.

He had the tendency of sheer destruction, even when it wasn't his aim to be. Add to that the arrival of _the_ Devil King and a Heretic God, it was quickly showing to be a possible cause for the end of the entirety of Tokyo.

Voban laughed; the sound not at all pleasing to the ear but closer to the evil voice of the devil, brimmed with sinister amusement. "To think that my wish would be attained that easily… or is it?"

_"What do you mean by those words?"_ The shrouded being asked, tone not carrying any sign of being offended yet somehow delivering the thought.

"What can assure me that you are not a mere illusion, or just an Authority that _boy_ has used to fool me? Other than from those robes that you may have killed a Divine Beast for, I can't sense any power from you!"

_"Don't try to act like you are even unaware of Kusanagi Godou's abilities_." The figure of the fog replied, not by sound, but by the power of the mind. _"Verethragna is a powerful God and warrior, but he is no illusionist. And if I'm not as powerful as you would like, then why don't you try asking that poor maiden by your side?"_

"I can't see anything," She spoke without being prompted, but she _knew_ the truth in her words. "But I can feel power in that man – not a woman, but a man. It is far greater than that of the one beside him, far greater than the power of the Seventh Campione."

_"To pierce my fog and determine a fact," _The now identified man was smiling, but it couldn't be seen. However, like everything else about him, it could still be felt. _"Truly, you are even more worthy than the praises heaped upon your name when others speak of the Hime-Miko."_

"Very well then," Voban nodded at her words, lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Nevertheless! Even with the assurance you are stronger than the youngest of the Rahshasa Raja, how can I still determine that you are worthy of being my prey? Many times have I fought Gods before, but it wasn't always enjoyable. What's stopping me from taking this girl and continuing my ascertained route to fighting a worthy battle?"

Godou was about to interrupt for the slight when Erica placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

It wouldn't help to re-enter the fray now, she knew the knight was thinking, as it was best to simply take the chance of the oldest Campione's attentions being directed elsewhere, even if it was a Heretic God. Further engaging with the more experienced King was simply not to be taken, and they were even lucky that they were currently being sidelined away from the spotlight.

The misty figure walked, away from Godou and towards to one of the sand pillars- no, former human beings that were the latest victims of the oldest Campione's Authority. A faded finger was placed on the chin of a petrified woman. _"As you wish, let me show you the proof of my power._"

_"To those who need to be saved, I bring you **Salvation.**"_

The last word was whispered with a clear voice unlike the rest, and suddenly, a burst of energy came from the man, enveloping everything in the room. Yuri gasped as it felt completely pure, completely benevolent, the complete opposite of the King beside her. It touched the salt-that-was-once-alive, the bodies that were proof of the power of the [Eyes of Sodom], and _healed_ them.

Men and women, all of them mere seconds ago completely thought of as dead, fell to their knees in feet and broke down into tears. They were of fear, but they were also of happiness. Happiness that they managed to be the very first ones to live through the full Authority of Sasha Dejanstahl Voban.

"To think that someone would finally defeat my eyes…" The old Devil King murmured with a smile. "If it isn't proof to be a worthy prey, then I have turned senile."

The fog-covered silhouette ignored him, bending his knees to face the woman that he had just saved. Words were whispered to her, and she nodded with tears in her eyes. A second later, the man returned the gesture and waved an arm.

All of the people in the room that were once men-turned-salt vanished in a flash of light.

"Where did you take them?" Godou asked the fog-covered figure without the suspicion that would've been on Yuri's tongue had she been the one to ask. "Where did you send them to?"

_"I sent them to the nearest hospital."_ The mental voice that was now so familiar replied. _"I sent them where they would be safe and where they could recover from their ordeal."_

It was strange as those words entered her head. They would have convinced her that the fog-covered man was only intending for their own good, if she was only not so sure that it was _impossible_ for a [Heretic God] to think that way. It was slightly vexing, the knowledge of the existence of such a paradoxical being behind the fog that permeated the entire room.

"For them," the youngest Campione earnestly replied, "Thank you."

More words were whispered, and Kusanagi Godou looked at him again with widened eyes. But before Yuri could interpret that, the voice of Voban sounded again through the now mostly empty reading room.

"Very well, you will be my prey for my incoming hunt."

The tone was final, like the sound of a death sentence. Yet Yuri knew, even through that magical miasma that was the fog that kept her from trusting her eyes, she knew that the figure, the Man in the Mist, was sending a determined glare towards the old man. She knew there wasn't any fear or apprehension in the being; she knew it was true as much as the red color of her blood.

The old Campione then sat back down to his chair like it was a throne. "Thirty minutes! Thirty minutes, and I will leave this room and hunt for you." He said the words like it was an honor, his vicious eyes seemingly attempting to pierce the fog and attack the silhouette within. "You can hide wherever you want, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth when I start if I have to."

_"There is no need._" The figure shook his head, turning to her. _"Mariya Yuri, the famed Hime-Miko. That time would be enough for the children of magic to arrange a battlefield for the two of us, isn't it correct? A battlefield where we can battle without interruption or consequence to the city?_"

Battlefield…

"Yes! Yes, it would be enough!" She quickly replied, even if she wasn't really sure. "In that time, we can prepare the most appropriate place for your match!"

She rather hoped it would be. This was a rare chance that a fight between a [Heretic God] and a Campione could be controlled away from the masses. She hoped that the Compilation Committee would be fast enough.

"Very well." Voban nodded beside her, his gaze more appropriate for an interesting piece of pottery than anything. "Send me the location in thirty minutes, or I would tear through the entire city in my search for my prey."

Shivering beneath the contemptuous threat of the one who was in her nightmares, Yuri nodded, wishing to herself that it would be him, not the Heretic God that somehow seemed so kind and so _human _compared to the oldest Campione, who would be defeated in the upcoming battle.

* * *

><p><em>"You haven't changed one bit after all, Godou."<em>

Those were the words that came out of the mouth of that [Heretic God] after he thanked him.

It wasn't through the voice in his mind, but it was spoken, and as warped by the fog it was, it couldn't hide the _peaceful_ tone the words carried. The moment he heard it, Godou couldn't help but feel _safe_ around the veiled being, like he knew the man behind the mist for long times past.

Yet it was impossible. At least, as far as he knew.

"Godou, you seem deep at thought. Mind sharing it with the rest of us?"

He snapped his head towards the voice so fast that the other person nearly jumped in surprise. Seeing that, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, Erica… What were you talking about, again?"

The knight rolled her eyes. "We were talking about that Heretic God, Godou. And here I was thinking you had something to say about it…"

Beside her, Mariya Yuri, the girl that had been kidnapped just mere minutes before, sighed gently. To think, she was really a strong girl to recover so fast from such an ordeal, her pallor already turning healthier the moment she exited the room where Voban was waiting with them.

Really, she was to be respected for it.

"Erica-san, don't pressure Kusanagi-san too much."

Erica only reprimanded her in exchange. "Don't be too soft on Godou, Yuri. He may get too complacent!"

"I see…" Another girl nodded at her. She seemed to be entirely focused on observing their conversation. "So the Seventh Campione's relationship with Erica Blandelli is allowing her to dominate in most moments, so when he takes the rein the situation, it is more _special_ as to speak."

"Why are you here?!" He found himself pointing a finger at her. "Aren't you supposed to accompany Voban?!"

The other knight bowed in response. "I'm sorry for forcing myself into accompanying you, King Kusanagi Godou. But under my King's orders, I determined it was best for me to follow you, as it is the duty of the local Campione to watch over the battles in his land. With that, I'm sure by the time passes, I would be able to send the message of the location to him myself."

Liliana Kranjcar, the knight counterpart of Erica beneath the oldest Campione, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban. Normally, he had no problems with interacting with anyone, but like Erica, he currently had the disposition to reduce the moments he had around her.

Not that it was due to her having any preference to outright manipulation – Erica for example – but she was currently what he deemed as the personification of his second pet peeve.

The tendency to think of his actions like his sister does: make him out to be the worst sexual deviant that ever existed.

"Wait…" He interrupted those thoughts, as he could simply wallow over his bad luck later. "What do you mean by 'duty to watch over the battles in his land'?"

His 'first wife', as she liked to call herself, sighed explosively. "We _were_ talking about that just a few seconds ago, Godou."

"Enlighten me then."

"Campione are entitled to a list of rights by the fact that they are the [Kings] of the human race." Another voice replied, this time coming from his front. "One of those is the right to rule over a single territory, the place where their orders are held firm as to speak. In exchange, it is also to be expected that in that land, they are responsible for watching over its people – and thus, including the conflicts that may happen within it. Fighting [Heretic Gods] is one thing, and watching over visiting [Campione] is another."

"Of course," this was said with a frivolous chuckle, "You could simply ignore that duty, as it's also one right of a [Campione] to be a tyrant."

"And of course Godou," Erica continued slyly, "You don't want to be seen as a Tyrant King, am I correct?"

Ah, so that was why he was with the rest of them, riding a car driven by Amakasu Touma-san that was headed to the 'arena' where Voban and the Heretic God was going to fight in…

Inwardly, he wept. What had he done to deserve this kind of situation?

A voice inside his head that unnaturally sounded like Erica replied, _"You killed a God, you idiot!"_

He hung his head.

"So, back to our conversation," the sly woman continued as if she hadn't just broken his will. "What do you think about that [Man in The Mist]?"

"[Man in The Mist]?" He found himself asking. "Who made up that title?"

Yuri raised her hand a little shyly.

"Alright, so let's call him that." He simply accepted it as fact, as generally the Hime-Miko was correct at most things that she did. "What do we know about him, anyways?"

"One, he somehow arrived in our presence without us noticing before it was too late." Liliana surprisingly answered for him. "Two, nothing we did, even Mariya Yuri-san's famed abilities of Spirit Vision, could glean more than his gender through his fog."

The Miko nodded at that. "Even my approximation of his power is vague. I couldn't see anything, other than that he was definitely stronger than you, Godou-san."

Stronger than him… He was certainly lucky that he wasn't the one challenged for a match then.

"Third," Amakasu-san continued for them, his glasses reflecting light into Godou's eyes almost playfully through the side mirror. "He holds the ability to break through the curse of the [Eyes of Sodom], willingly revealing it in order to challenge Sasha Dejanstahl Voban's Authority."

The [Eyes of Sodom], the infamous deadly Authority of the oldest Campione. From the story of the two cities Sodom and Gomorrah, when the wife of the sole person to be chosen by God to live through his judgment of fire and brimstone decided to turn back and look at the suffering faces of the cities they left behind, she was turned into a pillar of salt as punishment for disobeying God's orders.

In the hands of Voban, it turned into a pair of eyes capable of turning any living human their gaze landed on into the very same substance that the sole statue outside the two seared cities was made of. This was his most famous Authority, the extremely one-sided eyes he gained from the defeat of Balor of the Evil Eye. And they were simply defeated with a few words by the figure in the fog.

"And fourth," this Mariya-san with no little mystification, "He appears to break all convention of his kind, actively _helping_ humans instead of causing harm to them."

Even without seeing it, Godou knew Amakasu-san was nodding. "I had called the closest hospital and like he said, there were the people that were the victims by Voban's authority. I've also identified that lady he _talked_ to – not by telepathy – and these were the only things she said."

The sound of a recording played through the phone that was suddenly thrown into Godou's hands.

"_He was kind… He asked if we wanted to leave **that man's** presence. When I begged him not to kill us, thinking that was what he meant, he showed me part of his face. It was a smile – not like the one **he** had, but welcoming, caring_… _He said he was going to send us to the hospital, and I nodded, knowing he was telling the truth. I was happy! He **saved **us, f-from that hell that our bodies had turned into! He was our salvation, and he saved us all!"_

Beside him, Mariya-san gulped. Why would she-

No… Voban **didn't **dare try using that Authority on her… right?

"The energy he used," the Hime-Miko murmured weakly, "It really was something aimed at helping people. There was no taint of evil in it, like there wasn't even a hidden agenda in using it other than healing them."

Liliana, in another bout of uncharacteristic actions, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing in circles to help her calm down. Seeing that, Godou felt his anger slowly lessen.

"He talked to you as well, right, Godou-san?"

He didn't manage to catch the change from _Kusanagi-san_ to _Godou-san_ before he was already answering. "Yeah, that's right… wait, '_Godou_-san'?"

"I can call you that, right?" Mariya-san asked shyly, very unlike the usual willful girl that he knew could go against Erica. "And call me Yuri in exchange?"

Seeing that she garnered quite the effort on saying, all Godou could do was agree. "Alright then, Yuri-san."

There was a moment of silence before Amakasu-san laughed. "Amazing, Yuri-san! To catch the attention of two Campione one after the other, you sure are amazing!"

Before the suddenly blushing Miko could send back a retort, the knight of the Bronze Black Cross was already saying something out loud. "So that's how King Godou charms his women… He certainly has no shame, doing it here in a closed space with his lover Erica-san."

"I don't charm them! Erica and Yuri-san are just friends!"

For some reason, the Miko made a defeated sound, causing Erica to also place her hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "Alright, _again_, back to the topic. So Godou, he said something to you as well? Unlike Yuri, I couldn't see from my vantage point much of even his silhouette."

Calming down, he nodded. "Yeah. When I thanked him for helping them, he told me '_You haven't changed one bit after all, Godou'_."

"His voice… like she said, it was kind and welcoming. It made me feel at peace, like I was safe as long as I was by his side."

Erica sent him a sharp glance. "Godou, now… don't fall for any men…"

His ears went red. "Like I told you, I definitely don't swing that way!"

"Are you sure it isn't some sort of Authority that creates the illusion of some kind of charisma?" Liliana interjected between them, her question being pointed at Yuri. "Two examples, and it would also make sense that a deity that was known for being good would have both that kind of aura and healing Authority…"

She then realized what she was doing, and interrupted herself. "I mean, please forget what I said. I wasn't aiming to join the conversation, as I only wanted to fulfill the order of King Godou to tell him what I knew…"

Godou sighed. "Now, Liliana-san, you don't have to walk on eggshells around me. You can join in the conversation if you want too."

"I apologize King Godou, but as a knight, I have to show the rightful respect to a King such as you, even if the authority above me is someone else." She strongly replied, unbending on her stance. "But as you wish, I should also join the discussion. Now, like I said earlier, wouldn't it make sense for him to be that kind of deity? It also stands to reason as to why he might help people."

"Even with that kind of logic, it still doesn't make sense, Lily." Erica continued like she was indeed doing the right thing. "[Heretic Gods] are supposed to go against their myths after all. Even the kindest myth would turn sinister the moment they turn Heretic."

She then turned to Godou again. "Plus, apparently he knew Godou from long ago already. What does he mean by this, Godou?"

"Like I know." He shrugged. "I've only known the supernatural since I become a Campione after all."

"Then again…" Yuri-san murmured between them. "If the [Man in The Mist] could really hide his presence whenever he wanted, wouldn't that mean Godou-san could had been watched by him ever since a long time ago, without him knowing?"

"A stalker _male _[Heretic God]." Erica sighed to herself. "Now, really I've heard of everything. Godou, alright since you wanted me to stop accusing you of charming others, could you stop _seducing_ everyone you meet?"

He spluttered. "I don't seduce people!"

"Aha!" Amakasu-san nodded giddily. "Now that would make sense! Campione fight the logic wherever they go, so wouldn't it be right to say that it's possible they could somehow convert Heretic Gods? If they could even be called Heretic Gods by then."

"Amakasu-san!"

However, there was a single line that stuck into Godou's mind even as they arrived and Liliana separated from them to send a message to her King.

_Can he be even be called a [Heretic God] by now? _

* * *

><p>It was in Shiba Park.<p>

Placed in the middle of Tokyo, in the Minato ward, it was the closest thing possible that fulfilled the requirements.

A wide area of free space without buildings. People and vehicles could be redirected, trains could be momentarily stopped if they had to. It was only simple as they only had to repeat the excuse they used when Athena attacked, and thus casualties could be reduced. Of course, if they could only ignore one monumentally large thing within one of its areas.

The Tokyo Tower.

Looking at the very famous and prominent landmark, Godou prayed that it wouldn't be the next world heritage to be destroyed by Campione.

"Do we really have to fight here?" He asked, almost begging at Amakasu-san, who only huffed and re-affixed his glasses.

"Ma, ma~ Kusanagi-san. It's not like we have much choice!" Contrary to his words, the man was as infuriatingly cheerful as always. "This is the only place we could reach in thirty minutes! Would you want to instead drive all the way to the sea, Voban-sama tearing everything as he followed us?"

_"Don't worry, Kusanagi Godou." _The voice of the [Man in The Mist] resounded suddenly, causing many of them to jump. Beside Godou again, his figure slowly formed, his fog already spreading thick into the wide area. _"I'll try to rein in the destruction the Wolf, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban might wreak."_

"Great!" The Committee member commented, not at all unsettled by the sudden appearance of the mysterious being. Would anything unnerve him? "Thank you for that, [Man in The Mist]-sama!"

_"You seem rather… carefree for a man who would be witness for a clash between god-level beings."_

Yuri-san, who had slowly relaxed as she realized that the Heretic God was still surprisingly benevolent, sighed as she pulled away the spectacled adult. "I apologize, [Man in The Mist]-sama, for letting this careless man come close to you. Or would you like to be called by some other name?"

_"The name is fine, and I find it apt. Don't fear me; I'm only here to battle the oldest Campione and drive him away from these shores. This land is my home as well, and it's my duty to protect it."_

The figure then turned to him. _"Kusanagi Godou, would you fight me if I decide to reside in your territory?"_

Realizing just what he was asking him, Godou quickly took a few steps back and raised his hands in peace. "No, no, no! Really! It's alright with me! I don't like fighting that much anyways, and as long as you don't bring chaos in this city, I'm fine with that! You can even stay as long as you want, since you just want to protect this place!"

Even with the fog, he knew the man was smiling. _"Truly you are an interesting Campione, Godou."_

Erica silently walked behind him and elbowed him just below the ribs. She whispered, slightly irritated, "Godou! Like I told you, stop seducing even [Heretic Gods]!"

"I'm not-"

He was interrupted when the satisfied voice of Sasha Dejanstahl Voban echoed in the night air, somehow ringing loud and clear through the wide open space that was the park.

"Ah, indeed. This would be a suitable place for my hunt – no," he shook his head, staring hungrily at the figure of the mist. "This battle, between me and the [Heretic God] that has defied my very best Authority."

The old Campione then sent everyone else the same look. "Now, wouldn't you go somewhere farther from here? Or else, perhaps you want to add to my prey?"

It was a clear signal, and mere minutes later the only one left in the space of a hundred meters around Voban was the [Man in The Mist].

"Now then," a wolfish grin formed on the wisened-looking old man's features. "Let's begin placing our lives on the line, shall we?"

* * *

><p>It began with wolves.<p>

Six, twelve, until dozens of them were in the grassy field that was Shiba Park, they slowly rippled off the darkness glooming from the nearby trees and shrubbery. Grey hair colored silver by the starkly clear full moon above them, they encircled the two combatants, all of them large enough to bite of a man's head along with half of his upper body with no problem. They moved as a pack, their mouths watering in visible hunger. Their eyes were blood-red, filled with primal rage and fury that seemed bottomless.

The [Legion of Hungry Wolves], another of the oldest Campione's most famous authorities. It was told that it could summon enough of the ravenous beasts to destroy more that seven villages in a single activation, but no one ever dared in questioning it within his presence, as he may do it for the sake of proving them correct. Any sane man wouldn't dare to fight them, as they were strong enough, fast enough, and more importantly, many to be capable of doing mass destruction.

In face of the Authority, not a single reaction could be seen from the veiled being of the fog.

"Let me test your mettle first; you may have the healing abilities to defeat my eyes, but could you do the same for my wolves?"

One of them jumped, aiming for the man's throat.

It never came close, as its mouth suddenly found itself inserted with a longsword, the length enough to pierce through its throat and into the back of its lower spine.

Then the rest attacked. One went for the blurry arm that held the sword, another pair aiming for the legs, some more jumping for different limbs, and the last one had its teeth snarled as it attempted to bite through the man's face.

They also failed, as in a single swing the sword bursted through the body it was embedded in, cleanly cutting through three other wolves in its wake. Just as suddenly as it did, another sword appeared in the other hand of the [Man in The Mist], decapitating the beast aiming for its arm and finishing its slash by hacking through the heads of two others. And the quick movements didn't stop there, continuing until a sudden pause of silence.

In two seconds and without a sound other than the broken-off whines of the wolves before they died, all that was left living around Voban was the fog-covered figure. In his hands were still those two swords, the grip on them steady and blood dropping off their blades. They were as unidentifiable as their wielder, the fog covering their features even as it colored red by the arterial spray of the dead wolves. Even that and their bodies faded away soon enough in a burst of dark particles, the divine magic creating them having been dispelled with their death.

Voban saw all of this, and chuckled. A sound not unfitting for another's nightmares escaped his lips until he was laughing. "So just those wolves wouldn't be enough for you? Good, good… Now, let's see it happen again, this time for serious."

In a single instant, even Godou gasped as he watched the sudden change in the battlefield. The land that was covered in grass was suddenly lost in a sea of fur and glowing eyes, all of it from hundreds and hundreds of the same beasts that died only seconds ago, almost like mushrooms after a good rain. They formed like the grass itself turned into pure muscle and sinew, the earth shaping into bone and teeth.

A single breeze came to the park, and waves of fur rolled as nearly a thousand eyes just as hungry as those that came before them focused at the [Man in The Mist].

This time, they all jumped in the air at the same time, no doubt blotting out the view of the moon for the man hidden by the fog, and ultimately, Godou's view of the man himself as he was buried beneath a heap of biting teeth and snarling jaws.

"I can't believe it." He could hear Erica murmuring to herself. "Even I could defeat the wolves myself if I have to, but that many at the same time…"

Godou knew that it was the same for him. Yet somehow he also knew that it wouldn't be for the mysterious being that honestly saved him from battling the crazed old man that was Sasha Dejanstahl Voban. And he was right, as a just as sudden burst of power came from the center of the pile of wolves.

Eight slashes. It was eight great cuts, centering at the man like a star. The first had severed through the top of the heap, reaching down to the ground and leaving a mark a few meters longer than its diameter embedded more than several inches into the darkened grassland. Then the second, and third, and so on and so forth, all of them centered at the man whose fog was slowly escaping the mass of flesh that had prevented it from spreading, all of them angled differently from each other by equal degrees but no less destructive to the wolves that suddenly found themselves bisected in different places.

After it, another burst of power formed, and a huge gust of wind suddenly kick-started in the middle of the now-degenerating pile that was once the wolves of Voban's Authority. It brought about movement, bringing along with it the multiple bloody pieces of the beasts upward, and only stopped when all of it already disintegrated as the magic animating them broke apart.

_"Those wolves…" _The familiar mental voice of the man, not-in-the-least hurried, resounded again in their minds. _"I've been scrutinizing them. They're not only of the earth and darkness, but of the light as well, aren't they?"_

"He's right." Yuri's words formed on her lips as her eyes gazed widely into great slashes that surrounded the man, peering deep into the dark particles that was what only remained of the great many wolves. "I can see it… The [Heretic God] Sasha Dejanstahl Voban had first killed, and he's right."

"Oh?" Voban looked even more amused. "Tell me more of what you know then."

_"[Legion of Hungry Wolves], the Authority gained from the contradictory god of both light and shadow."_ The mist-covered figure then slowly walked out of the crater he formed. _"Born in the beginning as a god of the land, he was the favorite child of the people who worshiped him. Soon, the stories that detailed him slowly changed him, as they were as contradictory as the wishes of many men. Not everyone saw the best in the same creatures, but everyone placed their favored animals and stories within his myths."_

_"Out of all the gods in his pantheon, he had the most titles. God of music, god of light. The god of pestilence, yet still the god of healing. The god of the harvests, and the god of life. Many animals were added to his name, from the swan, the rat, to the last of them, the wolf. He was the god of the earth that replaced Helios as the god of the Sun by the Greeks, Phoebus Apollo!"_

"Amazing…" The old Campione laughed. "Swords sharp enough to cut through the fur of my wolves, winds strong enough to break them apart to pieces. And now, the analyzing eye good enough to identify the entirety of my Authority within mere seconds after its activation. But would it be enough to defeat me?"

With a gurgle in his throat that was slowly turning into a growl, Voban curled to himself as fur started to grow on his skin, easily bursting through the suit that he wore. Claws formed on his fingers, his teeth sharpening as they lengthened with his canines growing past his lower jaw. His size slowly increased, starting to tower over trees with ease as a wild howl escaped his lips. One by one, even more wolves formed from his body as his now lengthy fur transmuted into flesh and bone.

His eyes, now red and just as hungry as his beasts were, focused again on the [Man in The Fog]. "Don't think this is only my Authority."

True to his words, slowly further shadows slinked from the earth, forming faces, weapons, and armor. Humans they used to be, at least before their souls were taken after their death beneath the hands of the oldest Campione. They were all famous swordsmen, mages, and wizards, yet all of them were reduced into lifeless [Dead Servants] under the tyrannical power of Voban's latest Authority.

Godou clenched his teeth from just watching them move. He had nearly fought one before Liliana took the battle away from him, but he already knew that they were suffering. Their minds were still there, in their undead bodies carried by their souls, but it meant little as they could only move and do whatever Voban wanted them to.

[Cage of Undead Servants]. It was the Authority gained by Voban when he defeated the Heretic God Osiris. Being a god of the underworld and rebirth, the Authority required the wielder to kill those he wanted to control, and the oldest Campione had little problem doing so. Sasha Voban was a man who murdered easily, and oft for the sake of amusement after all.

_"You don't understand do you?"_ The figure in the mist shook his head, the silhouette reflecting the movement. _"Or haven't you heard, of how Kusanagi Godou turned victor over Athena?"_

"Bah!" The _werewolf_ took the moment to show disgust. "That boy winning over one of the oldest deities of the underworld? It's completely ridiculous."

_"So you haven't heard,"_ Godou for some reason knew the man was _angry_. _"Of the ability that mirrors my own."_

Wait, an ability that mirrors the [Sword] Authority?

_"Let me show you then, a reflection of my power."_

One by one, from the fog surrounding the man, his swords slowly flew up, increasing and increasing by number until there were more than a dozen of them. They all kept the same shape, the same size, yet remained as unidentifiable as ever as the mist remained to be cover from prying eyes. Like a ring around him, they spun clockwise once, counter-clockwise twice before pointing down and aiming for the werewolf beneath them.

_"The [Cage of Undead Servants] was the Authority gained from the killing of the Heretic God Osiris!"_

Uninterested in simply being skewered by the weapons, Voban, his wolves, and his puppet servants rushed, claws and bones tearing gashes into the already broken grassland. The servants, being the closest, managed to cut at him with their katanas, the fireballs in their palms rushing to hit the figure of the mist.

Yet he did not stop. He ignored the blades bouncing off his body and easily dodged the magical projectiles. _"Osiris was once killed by the traitor Set, chopped and burned, split apart into multiple pieces all over Egypt. However, with the magic of his sister and wife goddess of the earth Isis, and the help of his brother god of knowledge Thoth, he was resurrected as the god of the Underworld, of the darkness and rebirth!"_

Deep inside Godou, the words entering his mind slowly formed their own [Swords], his Authority quasi-activating without his prompting. In the same time, the fog covering the ones above the [Man in The Mist] slowly faded away, showing more and more of their features.

Contrary to expectations, they were made of dull stone, tinted grey as mottled ash covered its tips down the body of the blade. There were little accessory, the swords looking like they were hewn from unpolished rock, but nevertheless they spoke of unbidden power. They vibrated in their places before they fell like shooting stars to the man's closest enemies.

_"Osiris was born from the chief goddess of the earth, borne of moonlight that she took from the elder god of the moon. Likewise, he was reborn from the combined powers of Isis and Thoth, the younger god and goddess of the moon and the land! Born of the earth, death, twilight, and magic; that is the story of the [Heretic God] Osiris!"_

_"These are my blades, and they will shred your stolen power!"_

Where they hit, wolves and the undead died, a single touch easily breaking apart the bonds of power between them and their master.

Voban growled. "Those blades… they're cutting apart my Authority!"

True to his words, slowly but surely, the swordsmen and wolves that were famed to never end, to never break apart under the power of Voban's enemies, started to reduce. Souls started to depart from their chained servitude, the bindings on them unraveling as the power of [Osiris] disappeared.

"Pacifier of the Ashihara no Nakatsukuni," Mariya Yuri murmured as she took in the sight of the revealed swords. "The sword god of the Nihonshoki, his name comes from the fashion things are cut and his nature as a deity! 'To cut' and 'deity'; the swords made to sever divinity, those are the blades of the God Futsunushi! Yet…"

"What, Yuri?" Erica asked beside the Hime-Miko, holding the shaking hands of the mid-trance Priestess. "What more do you see?"

"I c-can't understand… This divinity, is _human_! It has the traces of a magic, a magic not within the scale of what I can see!"

"A [Campione]?!"

That can't be… but he never said he was a [Heretic God], didn't he? Then, in the end, was the [Man in The Mist] really not a [Heretic God], but an unknown Campione?

"I-I'm not sure! Even Godou-san's Authorities don't have the same _feel_ as those swords! It's a power different from the curse of Pandora! And I can't perceive past the blades, as the fog still shrouds the origin of their owner, the [Man in The Mist]!"

_"Try not to further look for what is hidden, Hime-Miko."_ The voice of the being resounded again in their minds. _"You know too much already."_

In the same time, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban roared in anger. "Such annoying parlor tricks! This is not a battle, it's a farce!"

_"Then why don't you match for me by yourself? All you've been doing so far is letting your puppets and pets fight for you."_

Voban paused, his face turning blank. Slowly, an evil smile formed on his face. "True… what have I been doing, testing you when I know of your ability?"

The wind picked up around the oldest Campione. Clouds suddenly condensed in the sky, getting bigger in an exponential rate, darkening as they covered the clear full moon. Then, lightning followed the now gale-force winds, belying the entrance of powerful _magical _storm. Loud bellows accompanied the striking sounds of thunder, and water fell in large raindrops going fast enough to sting skin.

Small gusts then surrounded Voban like armor, sparks of electricity travelling between them as water swelled in copious amounts to protect the oldest Campione. In the same time, three figures, red, blue, and green, coalesced behind him. They were three great warriors of China, _the_ weather trio Bo Feng, Yu Shi, and Lei Gong.

They were also the [Heretic Gods] Voban killed to gain the Authority [Sturm Und Drang].

Unlike earlier times though, he didn't let any time pass before he was already in front of the [Man in The Mist], one wind-veiled claw going down to rip him to pieces.

The man flew away. Voban made an annoyed sound. "Body as hard as steel- no, impervious to any physical attacks? But as magic is still useful…"

The figure of the fog rotated twice in midair before his veiled feet landed neatly on the ground. _"Wind, lightning, water, and darkness, altogether. And any attempt at analysis is useless. Your combined Authorities prevent me from seeing clearly. It is as much as a problem for me to defeat you now that it is for you to defeat me."_

"Don't stop moving now, boy!" Voban growled as he reappeared behind the man. His attack this time was prematurely countered, however, as three swords fell from above him in an attempt to eviscerate the oldest Campione. He redirected the claw and some of his winds to deflect them, allowing both of them to escape without harm.

That is, other than for the hand that was now exposed to the air, the claws and fur adorning it suddenly dispelling to nothing. "Tch, still in effect, those blades of yours."

_"Don't figure it finished too early."_ The rest of the flying swords above the Campione came down at the same time.

"I won't let you!" Voban yelled as he unleashed the real power of his weather Authority, a sudden tornado forming around him and carrying away the swords that attempted to pierce him from all directions. Yet it was only a distraction.

It also prevented him from seeing an incoming sword, held by a thrusting hand and aiming for his chest.

"I can't believe it…" Liliana gasped as they all watched the [Man in The Mist] successfully impale Voban, a stone sword stabbing through the man's sternum, going through with several inches of blade exposed behind his back. "He actually hit…"

A burst of darkness came from the two combatants, a pained howl piercing through the strong winds and the thunderstorms of the sky. From it, the veiled man jumped away, landing in a injured heap as residues of shadows clung to his figure and befouling his fog.

"He's weak against the powers of the dark, I guess." Erica already answered before Godou could ask for himself. "If he is indeed a Heretic God of light or justice, as Lily suggested, then it also stands to reason that he would be weak against the dark elements."

"But he can be something _other_ than a Heretic God, right?!"

The Diavolo Rosso bit her lips. "I suppose, with Yuri's analyses so far, even [Divine Ancestors] are out as they could only be female."

"Then-" Before Godou could finish his sentence, a growl, a _human_ one, came from the dark cloud that contained the oldest Campione.

"**_This- this- I won't forgive you for this, boy!_**" Voban yelled, an animalistic gurgle escaping his throat as all of his savagery exposed itself for all eyes to see. Lightning, wind, and water redirected again as bloody hands were outstretched towards the man still in the middle of recovery. With it, the remaining shadows surrounding the angered Campione dispelled, revealing a human shape with his entire upper body splattered with his own blood, spilling down his clothes down to his calves.

The moment he was stabbed by the sword, his [Wolf] Authority fell apart and sent a terrifying amount of backlash at him, reducing him to such a state.

A combination of the three elements flew from his hands, steam, plasma, and ice combined with gale-force razor-sharp winds all directed at the kneeled man.

"_No!_"

Tempests suddenly formed at Godou's feet before it carried him to his destination.

Directly in between the two combatants.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I really like making fun of Godou. I guess that's why the Takedzuki-san wrote him that way. As you can see, current Present chapter is centered on him and those around him, so expect the next one to be about the IT.<strong>

**Troublesome fight scenes, really difficult to write as planned as I suck at writing them without spoiling too much. The mechanics are still not there yet, you see, and I don't know how to express something that is meant to be vague.**

**_Still_**** not seeing the seriousness in my writing though, and may soon give up on that front. Stylistically, I'm more for the traditional 'sprinkled with huge doses of humor' after all. Do… you guys not like it? Because it seems like the Persona Crossover fandom likes the more 'serious' kind of writing.**

**I would never be good at angst or conveying any sense of the darker themes, so I hope you guys agree. (I'm a natural Wangst person here people! ADHD kinda does that for you. Nope, definitely _not_ alcohol. Somehow, I'm good at Hurt/Comfort though… in a literal sense, not as a theme.)**

**On the subject of pairings, don't expect them too soon. I like writing romance as a subplot, so I just let them form their bonds naturally. If the characters decide to pair up, then I'll pair 'em up. I don't really have OTPs on both fandoms. Even Godou's harem would be subject to it – not that it matters much, from what I see… Godou is really on the Harem Route, just by being himself.**

**Forget about the update schedule, I've got inspiration! The awesomeness that are the latest chapters of the _Ashes of the _Past is fuel for my writing machine! The words won't stop forming beneath my fingertips! Muahahaha, take that, Writer's Block! Or at least, please don't come back soon… (Plus, the slightly underfed_ Bonds Unlocked_ and dilapidated_ It's Just a Huge Misunderstanding, Really!_ bunnies are looking at me with begging eyes. Sorry, my dears, but I have a new favorite as of the moment… Just sit tight there and… I'll be back. For those readers who want to know my chapter progress, check my profile. I update that part every so often.)**

**_Le_**** Muse kinda looks at me funny right now… It's like she's scheming something. Quick! Everyone, fill my review box by the loads so she'll stay! Meh, who am I kidding, she's one hell of sadist, so even with that she may not even think about staying. But I can try, right?**

**It's kinda funny this happened though:**

**_Review Reply Corner!_**

_Random Reviewer: Thanks for the review! I actually did realize the lack of a bullet train in D.C., but then again I already posted the chapter, so let's just say it's one of those differences from RL. As for the lack of recoil damage by the impact, *sigh*. It was actually going to be explained later on, but since this is an anon review, I'll explain here. As it is obvious, it was Yu who saved the kid. But at that moment, he was using a Null Physical Persona (or if Persona 3 was the fandom, the more specific Null Strike). I understand that property as **null**ifying the force – Repel is basically reflecting/deflecting it, and Resist is the basic Body of Iron, which is a simple durability – and thus, momentum is completely lost. No recoil because it's an instantaneous stop of the entire train + passengers (completely disregarding inertia!), other than the slight compression caused by the impact. If it was done by Superman, well expect the Hancock-esque property damage and a dent much bigger than a man in front of the train. But it's Yu. That simple._

_And honestly, even he wouldn't be able to think fast enough past the 'save the kid' to 'pull the kid off the tracks' (around 320 kph if memory serves me right; general distance to detect an incoming bullet train is when it is at most 50 meters away, so there is less than a second to react, precisely at a maximum of 0.675 sec before impact). Not to mention it would've wrenched the poor kid's arm if it was done that way. Try being yanked off in a speed fast enough to escape a closing-in bullet train; it would seriously have to dislocate or rip off a limb, especially for children. If it was just an ordinary car though, that could be done… (Proud of Math skills! Provided that the train didn't de-accelerate first… but let's not nitpick.)_

_As for the amount of characters; this is my only response. "**I'll do my best!" **I now have a newfound respect for several of my favorite writers… Plus, honestly I'm devoting most of the Past for the IT and Present to the Campione characters so far… When I finish the Past, then I'll balance the characters then. All of them are there for a reason after all._

_Guest/s: The premise of the story is still not really there. So are several facts. Don't make **any** conclusions about the IT just yet; I'm telling you, it's a rather simple effect but a relatively complicated cause. I just placed the effects, not the causes. That's was the entirety of Rise's job: she is after all, the 'statistical observer' not the 'analyzer' in PS2 Persona 4, no matter what her skills say. The Past Arc is actually there to explain the entire premise and the goals of the IT. It's not like they could just follow Yu; Yu has to go somewhere or aim for something first. And by the end of the Past Arc (probably after Chapter 7, I'm really not dragging it past what's needed), you would know just about everything you need to know. Kinda._

_General premise in my stories is: everything is done for a reason, and not everything is truly perceivable in the beginning. Expect even gags to make a comeback in a form of a plot twist, as I like masking important details with jokes. To Become A Campione is just beginning, my dear reviewers._

**_Please, next time, review using an account. Even if it helps me start my writing pace, there are too many spoilers. I specialize in hiding stuff from the audience, not revealing my secrets in a single paragraph! :(_**

**_On the subject of grammatical and typo errors though, would you guys please also point them out for me? I don't know how to use the beta mechanic, plus I'm not really fond of the idea of delaying my update speed with them. I self-beta anyways, but I have limits. So, please help!_**

**_Edit: Oops, sorry. Stealth EDIT: Eight Campione - Seventh Campione_**

** "**_I'm Ryuuga, and you haven't left a review. Time to die.**"**_

- **_Readerdreamer5625 (Who likes the game name 'Inori Ryuuga') _**


	4. First, Keep Them Close

**AN: Whoa, the fav and follow list hit three digits! By the third chapter!**

**T-Thanks for the great response everyone! *crying tears of joy* I'll be sure to keep up the good work!**

**Now, back to the story. This past chapter was _really_ difficult this time. Hope you guys would like it though.**

**Has anybody noticed the pun yet on Endarasu-san's name? Hint: his last name has a silent consonant. Eugeo, on the other hand, was actually based on one of my favorite characters from a different series. Cookies to those who get the reference! Plus the Cookie Monster as he wants them back! It would also help those who want spoilers!**

**Yatta! 100% Cleared in P4! Yes, that means all the Personas, weapons, armor, and items. Even the event ones. And the secret ones. And yeah, you get the idea. Now I have a veritable databook of a saved game inside my laptop (I use emulators.) for the times I have to look up stuff without the Wiki!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just the plot. *beat* Yes, I own the plot, no matter what Muse-chan sa- _deargodwhogaveherbacktheknife!_**

**Chapter 3: First, Keep Them Close**

* * *

><p><strong>Past:<strong>

** "_Welcome to Inaba! Please keep away your investors and entrepreneurs. We like it just fine." _**

- **_Excerpt from the latest flyers of Inaba._**

"Mind explaining to me why your face is on the night news?"

The reply was weak and almost spineless. "…It was an accident?"

A moment of silence. He spoke again.

"You're raising a brow over there, aren't you, Yu?"

"What do you think?"

"Sarcasm doesn't fit you much, partner."

A long-suffering chuckle. "Then Naoto has been on you for far too long over there. Am I right, Yosuke?"

Yosuke groaned through the phone. "That's an understatement. Plus, she's annoyed that _I'm_ the one as the I.T.'s poster boy and presumed leader instead of her. I for one, could care less about the publicity. My dad's mad at me for yelling at his boss, and I didn't want it further spread _beyond_ Inaba."

Yu's voice was contemplative. "So, the entire town knew of it already before the media did? While I didn't?"

"…It's a long story."

The silver-haired teenager's response at the excuse this time was dropping his voice by an octave. "Well, it so happens I have time, _Hanamura._"

Yosuke gulped. His shoulders sagged as he gave up. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you what happened!"

The teenager in Inaba sighed as he started telling the story to his silver haired friend all the way to Tokyo. "It began when Kyojin-san asked my dad to be his tour guide around the town…"

_Earlier that week:_

The eldest Hanamura was surprised and then not-too-pleased to hear on his son's first meeting with his boss, but decided to capitulate on the multi-millionaire's wish as an apology. Before they even left, the man pulled Yosuke into a corner and warned him to not anger Endarasu-san.

"I know, I know!" Yosuke raised his hands in defeat in front of his father. "Even Rise's warned me about it already, so let me go already, Dad!"

Mr. Hanamura heaved a grunt before his eyes softened, only for a fraction of a second before it returned to the previous cold-hardness. "The Kujikawa idol, huh? At least you have some smart friends then."

"Don't insult my friends…" Yosuke growled beneath his breath.

His father glared. "You were saying?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Yosuke raised his hands again, inwardly heaving a sigh at the situation between him and his dad.

Their relationship had been strained for weeks already, months if you included the arguments they had when somebody told on Yosuke about his hang-outs with his 'rascal' friends at the food court and just about everywhere else. Thankfully, the rest of I.T. and especially Yu's efforts in helping Junes when they had employment problems abated most of those.

But when Yu drove away those two annoying former-coworkers of Yosuke, the man had been set on his opinion that the entirety of I.T. was up to no good. Even their success in graduating out of highschool as a team failed in convincing the man, as Yosuke's firm stance in not entering college without the rest of the group. Most especially Yu.

Those thoughts were the reason he was inwardly grumbling to himself at the entirety of the same 'tour' he had to give to Kyojin-san.

"Yosuke," the man turned to him, voice casual. "So, this is the famous shrine of Inaba?"

Yosuke smiled weakly, averting his eyes as much as possible from the glaring diffraction caused by the shiny offertory box. "Yeah. Ever since last year, this place has seen the peak of its use." He gestured a bit at the already full container and the well-worn bell rope. "It has been like this since then."

"Hmmm…" Kyojin-san murmured to himself as he bowed over to study the location, eyes wide like a child. "This place is amazing! Only one other place is like this and it's a world heritage site! No wonder it's so famous!"

The teen chuckled to himself. He knew just what Yu had to do to keep it that way.

Honestly, unlike his expectations, the man was really the kind of person who was both impetuous and carefree. Kyojin Endarasu was the famous for his economic success over the years, but he still hadn't let the money and fame go into his head. He was closer to a man-child than anything else really, but there was still no doubt about his capabilities of managing something as huge as the Junes Malls.

Given that every major city in Japan plus several less urban places like Inaba had at least one of his large, majorly successful, and _popular_ malls, there was no way Yosuke was about to forget just who was ogling happily as of the moment at the very shiny golden bells.

A glance at the corner of his eyes revealed his friends not-so-subtly watching behind several trees and the gates, along with the fox peeking in a bush, causing him to sigh. All of them really needed to learn how to hide properly.

"At least, this place I won't be renovating."

Yosuke's gaze snapped quickly back to his dad's boss. "Wait, what was that?"

Kyojin-san smiled, his words damning. "I've been thinking of developing this town. I've already asked the mayor and got his permission, plus I believe I could pay those living around here well enough to let me buy their land for my newest project: the Junes Park! It'll have all the usual rides, roller coasters, ferris wheels, carousels, and plus, dinosaurs! Good thing I watched that movie…"

"What?!" The brunet found himself raising his voice, no doubt attracting attention from the nearby Shopping District. "B-but… something like that is huge! You'll buy up most of Inaba for such a project!"

The man's expression didn't budge one bit. "I have the money of course!"

"That's not the point!" Yosuke yelled at the person who could've, if he so wanted to, ruined his family financially. But he didn't care. "That means changing Inaba! Wrecking the Shopping District even worse than what Dad did already! Displace even more people from their homes, their businesses, and the land that had been own by their families for _decades_!"

Kyojin still didn't let up on the smile. His eyes seemed colder, however. "Yes, but development needs change. You said so yourself earlier: '_Inaba is north of boring and southwest of dull._' So I'm changing that! I'll give it an _upgrade_, so more people will come to this _barren_ land!"

"To heck with that!" Yosuke snarled, completely ignoring the crowd that now formed around them. The rest of I.T. could only watch worriedly as one of their friends basically put himself in trouble for the sake of the town. "Yeah, Inaba's boring, but it's a _good_ boring! It means that it's the people inside that gives it value, where interest isn't because something like an attraction, but because you find it yourself!"

He himself knew it was true. He may had hated Inaba when he had just arrived, but together with Yu and the Investigation Team, he had learned to love the peacefulness in the town, of how they could watch together fireworks in festivals and moan over their misfortunes during the lousy class trips.

He learned how to laugh whenever Kanji bloated over his latest Meat Bowl beside the triumphant Yu and Chie during rainy days, of how they all could smile over their combined efforts to catch the Guardian in summer.

He could never find it in the city or the Inaba Kyojin-san envisioned, a place where people only paid and exchanged for benefits, where friendship was something that was bought for only a short amount of time.

He loved Inaba, and he didn't want to see it destroyed into something that was worse than being alone all over again.

The man only tilted his head, his eyes even darker than ever. "So, you disagree with my idea?"

"What do you think?" Yosuke growled through his teeth. "Inaba's good enough for the people inside it. Don't just go up and decide to change it with our permission."

Gasps were heard all around. If the brunet had looked around then, he would've seen all the proud faces of the people who used to glare and talk about him behind his back.

They certainly hadn't expected the 'Junes Prince' to go against the owner of Junes.

"What would you do about it then?" Kyojin-san said lightly, expression still unchanged. "What can a teenager like you do to stop a business man like me?"

"I'll make a good business out of Inaba, _for _Inaba then!" Yosuke yelled for all to hear. "I'll pull together the Shopping District and prove to you that we don't need your _upgrades_! You'll realize just how much it means to us!"

"Hoh?" The man smiled even wider, if possible. He looked extremely pleased in front of the fuming teen. "Prove it to me then, in a few months, when the Golden Week comes around. I'll hold the event even; make this company of yours and earn three million yen in a single day." Gasps were heard all around again. "Or else I'm pushing through with my project, without care for your opinions."

"You have a deal then." The brunet growled, everyone at his back staring coldly at the multi-millionaire. "At the end of the Golden Week holidays, the Investigation Team would have earned 3,000,000 yen by then."

Kyojin-san only looked happier.

* * *

><p>Yu pinched his nose by the moment he closed his phone.<p>

Yosuke had been firm on one thing; since it was his responsibility to follow through with his promise, Yu wasn't meant to come over and help with their preparations to save their town. They had argued over it repeatedly already, but the brunet was unyielding, refusing to let him solve their problems for them all over again.

"You look mad. Girlfriend problems? You certainly look like someone who would have them after cheating on his girlfriend with five other girls."

Yu only huffed in response. "What kind of person are you making me out to be? Some kind of gigolo?"

It wasn't really comfortable for him to be called that. It called up memories of Margaret's words filling up Nanako's ears with nonsense.

"Yes, certainly. Or are you the kind of guy who basically friend zones all of his admirers?"

"No, I'm not!" The silver haired teen gulped in his latest cup. "They're just my friends – I mean, it's about my friends!"

"So, you're the second kind?"

"No!"

Eugeo only smirked before he refilled the cup again. It was a school day, so he was freer than last time Yu came by. They had formed a small friendship over cups of the hot beverage and slices of cakes, mixed with playful teasing and sarcastic banter. "Alright, alright, _friends_. So, why is this popular guy visiting my café on a day where people of his age generally are in their high-schools?"

"You didn't know?" Yu cut into his latest cake. He was definitely going to have to exercise later to burn it off, but at least it curbed his annoyance from the snarky owner of the café. "I skipped a year. I had already graduated, and still undecided about entering college so far. So basically, I'm free to do what ever I want, and that includes drinking coffee here. What's this called by the way?"

"Chagall Coffee. Bought the recipe off another guy who didn't manage to open his own café." The bartender quickly replied. "So a genius? Good for you, at least between us you graduated through high-school."

Yu snapped his head back towards him quickly. "Wait, you didn't? You dropped-out?"

"No, it was of my own decision." Eugeo shook his head before sitting on the opposite seat and stealing a bite of cake, causing the silver-haired teen to glare mildly. "I could've probably do the same as you with just a bit of reviewing, but why do I have to when I already succeeded in my own shop?"

He gestured around the _Into the Rabbit Hole_. "I certainly don't need to trouble myself even further. This is just enough for me."

Yu smiled. True, the café was thriving as it was already. "You need more workers though."

The flaxen-haired man sighed at that statement. Now that he had told something about himself though, it could be seen that he was actually quite young, close to Yu's own age. The hat and costume certainly hid it for him, causing his 18-ish looks to be disguised as someone a bit older. "So, is that an offer to be my one and only waiter? It would certainly help if it was."

"Yes, yes it is." Yu set down his fork and leant back to his comfortable seat. "It would help me burn off what I eat over here, plus, I could flex my cooking muscles from time to time."

"Hmmm?" Eugeo tilted his head, very much interested. "An accomplished cook, are you? No doubt, it would've helped in winning over your many girlfriends."

"I. Don't. Have. A. Girlfriend. _Yet_." The silver-haired teen rolled his eyes, voice heavily deadpan. It really wasn't that he never had interest on girls, just that it would've been unfair to any girl he might have that kind of relationship with, especially with his nomadic sort of living status. He picked up the coffee cup again, savoring the smell before sipping more of the liquid.

"Alright, alright, I'll steer clear of that subject for you, Mr. Snarky." Eugeo smirked again as he basked in his victory. It was rare he found anything to annoy the younger guy in front of him. "So, can you come by at least every other day then?"

"I could come everyday if you want to, since I have plenty of free time." Yu replied, a second of thinking before shaking his head. "Only during afternoons though, as I'm not _that_ free. I still have to babysit my younger cousins during weekend mornings and attend Ichirou-jiisan's lectures during weekday evenings."

Eugeo tilted his gaze. "Haven't you already graduated?"

"Nah, I asked him about it myself." Yu grinned. "It's really interesting, the way he teaches. Originally, I thought you knew about my situation already through him."

"Our relationship is only the story of the resigned bartender and the old man who can't seem to stop telling stories about a charm-enhancing coffee – nothing more, nothing less."

"Poor you."

That was when the sudden noise of a table being flipped over sounded through the previously quiet café. Both of them simultaneously turned to the direction without delay, their eyes automatically picking out the cause with no problem.

It was a man, fuming red as he pointed a finger accusingly at the woman on her legs in front of him, causing her to wince and look away. His clothes immediately told of his wealthy status, neck upraised proudly warning anyone to not cross him or else face consequences. His face betrayed a bit of Western origin, completing the noble look. Not the virtuous kind though.

"Look at me, woman! What do you mean you refuse to pay up on your debts?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, Humbert-san, but my s-sister's medicine…"

"Like I care about your thrice-damned sister! We already paid for her first operation months ago, so don't you dare mouth out to me and ask me for an extended debt!"

"B-but we can't-"

She didn't finish as a fist was immediately thrown in her way, causing her to close her eyes from the incoming blow. She didn't need to, as when she opened her eyes seconds later it was held up in midair by a hand painfully gripping the arm behind it.

"Humbert-_san_," Yu said as calmly as he could, the words coming out as hard as steel. "Would you please hold yourself back? This is a lady you were attempting to harm, in a public place like this café. Care to look around to see those who are watching you?"

"Who the hell are you?" Was the reply by the angered rich man, his glare aimed at the silver-haired teenager as he tried to wrench his arm away but to no avail. "Can't you see that I have business with this bitc-"

"And this place is my business." Eugeo interrupted as he came in between the altercation. With an extended hand and a smile, he pulled up the sobbing girl from the café floor. Then he turned his own glare to the man opposite of her. "If you didn't see the huge sign by the door that even idiots would understand, then I'll tell you. Any kinds of conflicts here are _banned_."

His voice was flat, hiding behind it cold-blooded _danger_. "Get out of my café."

"You can't tell me that!" Hubert yelled back, a little panicked as whatever he did he couldn't escape from Yu's grip. "I own this district!"

"And I own this café." The bartender replied just as flatly. "And my friend over there could kick you out himself if he has to."

Yu had no such prior agreements with Eugeo, but personally he would've done it anyway even if he didn't ask. He tightened his grip a bit more before letting go of the arm that was now red from the hold.

Cowed over the not-so-hidden threat, Mr. Hubert gulped before weakly speaking again. "Alright, alright! I didn't like anything from here anyway, the coffee tastes like muddy water."

Without further delay, he stomped away. Sighing, Eugeo turned worriedly at the calming girl beside him "Are you alright, Miss…"

"Tieze." She meekly replied as she tried to wipe away her tears and calm herself down. She looked up in surprise when Yu handed her a handkerchief, smiling sheepishly. He had them on himself ever since he started living in Tokyo, all because Chiyo-baasan kept on handing him them before he left the Kusanagi house. "You can call me Tieze. I-I'm sorry for bringing trouble to your café…"

"No need to be." Eugeo comforted her, patting her shoulder and helping her sit. "What was he angry about, Tieze-san?"

Tieze blushed from the sudden attention but managed to reply. "It's about my sister…"

"She had an operation paid on his money, and you couldn't pay back?" Yu continued for her, seeing that she was still having problems with speaking properly. When both of them turned at him with surprised expressions, he rubbed the side of his cheek sheepishly. "I kind of listened in to you two before he threw the punch."

Eugeo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wait, how did you do that again? I could've sworn I couldn't hear them properly from where we were sitting, plus you managed to cross more than eight meters in a blink of eye to stop him. Not that I'm complaining."

"Good hearing and strong legs?"

The bartender didn't manage to snark back before Tieze was already speaking again. "Yes… Ronie had a car accident, and Humbert-san approached me after the doctor told me the operation she needed. We were both orphans, sisters in everything but blood, and had only each other so I took on his deal."

"B-but then Ronie suddenly had complications, leaving us in further debt! Unless I managed to pay for her the medical expertise she needed, she would d-die. I t-tried getting a part-time job, still being in high-school, but nobody would accept my resume. A-all I could do was beg him again, and again- hoping that Ronie would somehow find a chance survive- hoping that-"

She broke down again in tears. Sharing a look with Yu, they already knew what they had to do.

"Tieze-san," Eugeo said as comfortingly as he could. "Actually, just minutes ago, we were talking about me needing more workers in this café. You could be our next waitress if you want to…"

"Plus," Yu added his two cents. "I could also give you some money myself. I have pretty deep pockets, and if it's for the sake of someone else's life, I have no problem giving away some money."

It was a secret kept between Yu and Teddie about their not-so-inconsiderable amount of riches in his pockets. Considering how most of the I.T. had a certain quirk that gave them the tendency to spend money (Yosuke, music CDs; Yukiko, cooking; Chie, steaks… etc.) it took little time for him to decide on hiding the money left behind after the Shadows were defeated. The bear even only knew because it was him who provided the different kind of storage cloth he used as a wallet, accessible only to him. He was then silenced/bribed with plain, cheap, Topsicles.

It proved true as some, like Naoto who collected all sorts of guns and different bullets, had completely expensive hobbies in the Investigation Team. He planned on using it when something important came along, like buying weapons and armor for the Team. He was sure that they would agree with his decision when they found out about this incident.

Tieze snapped her head back at them, eyes wide and filled with a desperate hope. "R-Really?! You two would do that?"

Yu nodded. "You don't even have to pay me back for the medicine, I assure you. The job Eugeo here is offering you is to help you save up enough money to pay back your debt to that Hubert."

That proved to be too much for the poor girl, causing her to hyperventilate in happiness before she fainted.

Half an hour later, after they managed to somehow wake the stressed Tieze and send her home with a promise to return and talk it out when she was calmer, Eugeo immediately dropped the smile and slammed his face down into his arms, a soft sob escaping his lips at the moment. Nevermind Tieze, he looked like he needed some calming himself.

Yu smiled at his dramatics. "Troublesome things?"

The blond raised his head. "That's a sore understatement. I don't even have enough money for two workers, and I can't believe I just angered the local landlord of this place. I'm doomed."

Yu patted his shoulders comfortingly. "You can pay me with cups of coffee and cakes if you have to. Like I told to her, I'm not in much need of money. As for that landlord, let's cross that bridge when we get there."

"Yu…" Eugeo looked with watering eyes before he blinked them away. "Well, at least it felt good, doing that to that bastard."

"And helping Tieze and her sister, right?"

"Yes, yes of course."

* * *

><p>In Inaba however, things weren't looking quite as well as the leader of the Investigation Team.<p>

"What should I do- what should I do- what should _I_ do?!" Yosuke rubbed at his hair, pacing beside the rest of his friends. They looked worried, if not a little amused at his reactions. "Why the hell did I have to mouth off like that?! I could've said something _else_!"

"Yosuke-sempai, sit down." Naoto sighed as she tried to drink her own tea calmly. "We can't think with you like that."

She then turned to the Inn Heiress of their group. "Yukiko-sempai, thanks for letting us meet here."

Yukiko only shook her head in response, a soft smile forming on her lips. "No problem really. When I mentioned our need for a new meeting place, Mom was already handing me the room keys. I have a feeling she was expecting us to ask."

They all shared a conflicted expression. It wasn't that they hated being in the Amagi Inn; they had plenty of good memories within its walls. But after that fiasco with Endarasu-san, there was no way they would've been able to enter _Junes_, his property. Even Yosuke and Teddie had been kicked out – against the Hanamura mother's wishes – by the father of the house, for putting them in such troubled straits with their boss.

As for now, the two of them shared a room within the Tatsumi household, Yosuke brooding every now and then about his strained relationship with his dad.

"So, does anyone have any ideas?"

The one who asked the question was Rise, who was rubbing away another headache. She had been further practicing the abilities and limits of Kanzeon in the real world, causing her to slowly become who was essentially their information center. Indeed, they rarely used their phones between themselves nowadays, as the idol had basically connected them almost daily now with her telepathic abilities.

Chie bit into another skewer. "I dunno. Even when Narukami-kun came here last year, all we could tell him was that we had great steaks around here. And with those rumors…"

She shook her head, slowly pulling away the piece of cooked meat from her mouth. Even today, there were still stories being thrown around, questioning the origin of the meat the Souzai Daigaku used. In fact, with the amount of stories Yu had managed to find within a few weeks when he was still around, even she found herself eating them less and less.

"Damn, lost my appetite again."

Kanji pulled away his eyes from his knitting project. This time it was Naoto's scarf, royal blue and gold, with shades of black and grey. "It was always Yu-sempai who found the great stuff here in Inaba. He always found the most interesting things; the most interesting people. No wonder though, he kept talking and helping everyone."

Yosuke, who had finally calmed down to sit, sighed again. "Maybe I should've asked Partner after all; he always knew what to do. Without him around, Inaba feels emptier than ever before."

There was a moment of silence before a loud thud of a hand slammed to one of the tea tables snapped them out of it.

"Inaba is great!" It was Teddie, his eyes bright and sparkling. "This place is the most wonderful place I've ever been, and I've seen a lot of things!"

True, he had seen plenty of dungeons… "But Teddie," Yosuke found himself asking tiredly, "How can we show, or _attract_, people to this quiet town, without changing it like Endarasu-san planned?"

"Are you kidding?" Teddie looked at all of them, a grin on his face. "Teddie has plenty of good things to say about Inaba! We all went to hot-springs, we watched fireworks, we wore yukatas, we fought shadows!"

His voice was joyful as he listed the simple, but memorable, memories they had in the quiet town.

"We even watched Sensei fish the Guardian, we tried to finish the Meat Bowl Challenge! Who's to say that the town is boring? It's great!"

"Good to hear that, Teddie-kun." A new voice entered the conversation as very suddenly, all of the available Shoji doors of the room opened to reveal several adults who were quite obviously listening in to their conversation. Ms. Amagi smiled as she closed the door and sat beside her daughter. "It's rare to hear nowadays of teenagers who could be proud of this town."

"Mom!" Yukiko jumped a bit at the sudden arrival of the adults, twisting around to see just who else was there. "And everyone else's parents?"

"Young lady, it is not just them." A gruff voice added, the origin stepping in beside with an aged lady and several more adults. Scarred, rough skin, with a covered eye, Daidara looked out-of-place with his normal slightly dirty work-clothes inside the quaint look of the Inn. Shiroku-baasan, on the other hand, fit in like a puzzle beside the ornamental vases. "Why, we can't let youngsters fight alone for our Shopping District, can we?"

Shiroku-baasan waved a hand. "If you can't think of anything to sell, I could lend you some wares. You've bought plenty of them before, so I know you probably know what's best to do with them."

"Gahaha!" Daidara chortled beside her as he turned to the old lady. "You too?! Great, now I don't have to make an excuse for my contribution!"

The parents in the room that just arrived, mainly the mothers sans the Hanamura family's own, exchanged glances at that bit of info. But before they could voice their opinion, another person in the room spoke up.

"…I used to think my store became worthless because of Junes." A middle aged man with small scars on his hands spoke almost silently. "A few months ago, a teenager who had recently left Inaba broke me out of that kind of thinking, and now I found out that the Junes 'Prince' was also his friend."

Several members of the I.T. widened their eyes at that. That 'teenager' could only be one person: Yu.

"Then I was further shocked when the child of the very reason I had these problems fought against his father! If teenagers like you kids could decide to persevere and help this town, then why can't I?"

He walked to Yosuke. "Would you also take my effort in saving this town? I have models, dozens of them I'm willing to give away if it means protecting the Shopping District. That boy taught me my reason to live; you kids taught me the reason to _fight_."

"Don't think you're alone in that." Another voice interjected. This one was more familiar; especially to Yosuke in particular. Back then when the TV World still existed, his voice could be heard in one of its dungeons: loud and damning, yelling in anger at his daughter. But this time, there was no such rage; only sadness and regret. "My son's been telling me good things about this group of steenagers for a while now. I haven't believed him before; it was foolish of me though."

Mr. Konishi looked at all of them, to the Hanamura teen in particular. "Giving kids alcoholic drinks to sell might not be one of my best decisions, but it certainly wasn't the worst."

Yosuke gulped a small sob at the concession; at the indirect apology both aimed at him and _her_. He had mostly moved on by now – Yu had been completely helpful at that – but the death of his once-beloved Sempai still haunted him sometimes, whenever he took the time to think.

He looked away, blinking a bit of tears that he would deny later. At least she would be happier with this, right?

Yukiko, who had seen him, coughed elegantly before turning to her mother again, calmly this time. "Mom, of course you're going to help, right?"

Rise nodded with her. "Sure thing! Of course the Marukyu Tofu Shop would help too!" She then elbowed Kanji, prompting him to say the same about their textile shop.

The two mothers shared a look again before nodding almost tiredly. "Of course we would, dears."

Kujikawa-san also nodded. "Of course. We are part of the Shopping District."

With that, the ball started rolling. Soon, even more people started speaking up, holding their own claim in protecting their livelihoods. Store owners that once closed their shops started promising to prepare their own merchandise, to open business again for the upcoming Golden Week – and hopefully, beyond. There were even talks of letting some of the students who were interested in the preparation think up of their own ideas to sell, and slowly, there was a pile of letters forming in front of the shocked Hanamura in the room.

They all had trusted him to decide what to do.

But while they were doing that, the conversation turning louder and more cheerful the more time passed, less looking like a war council and more of a gleeful committee for an upcoming event, Rise stood up quietly and pulled aside Naoto – the one other than Yosuke who could be called as one of their leaders along with Yu.

"Like I said, I've scanned already the entire town. And I know how fickle the masses could get; as much as we could sell with the story of saving our town from Junes – no matter how ironic that may sound – we won't earn three million yen from this alone."

She gazed down worriedly. "I didn't have the heart to tell them."

Naoto on the other hand kept silent before speaking up, words carefully chosen. "Since coming to Inaba, I've been… interested in one of its products. It is so overlooked, but given time, it can probably be the one that gives us the edge to succeed."

Turning her gaze around the room, they landed on a single satchel carried by one of the women. "I could ask for help from my family with that. And if I'm right… not only would we save the Shopping District, we could probably deter many more problems in the future."

They would find out. And she would be right.

* * *

><p>It was dark outside when the door finally opened to let in the last member of the Kusanagi house.<p>

Tiredly, the silver-haired teenager heaved a sigh at his day. Problems back at Inaba, and newfound conflicts here at Tokyo. As calmly as he seemed to take the situation back then at the café, he was still a little apprehensive of actually going against a local landlord. It wasn't like he could simply cut Hubert down with a sword or freeze him into ice-cubes with a good Bufula – no matter how tempting it may get.

He was a human; Yu was only good at fighting Shadows.

But that didn't mean he couldn't learn how.

"Ah, Yu-kun." Chiyo-baasan murmured as she walked up to meet him at the doorstep. "You're home late today."

"Sorry about it." He apologized. "A friend of mine got into trouble, and I went the help them."

The elderly woman smiled softly. "If it's for that kind of reason, then it's alright. I trust you to make good decisions after all."

Yu would've blushed if he wasn't used to controlling his emotions. It was the first time he was actually praised by an older family member without any kind of front. Dojima gave him his respects, but they were always a little awkward, if weird. His own parents rarely talked to him anyways, and they were too used to his outstanding capabilities to praise him and sincerely mean it. Even Ichirou-jiisan, a very laidback man, always accompanied his words with some variety of teasing.

"T-thanks." He hated how he stuttered. Why was it that it was only now that it happened?

Chiyo-baasan only gazed at him understandingly.

"So, would you mind telling me more about yourself? You have always been too busy with the kids and my husband for us to actually talk."

Calmed down, Yu nodded brightly. "Of course."

Minutes later, beside the garden porch and below the shining crescent moon, both of them were drinking tea and some of the leftovers and snacks that were left behind by that night's dinner.

"Last year," Yu reminisced, as he slowly enjoyed the Oolong tea. "I was at a small town, in the outskirts of this country. Its name was Inaba."

Chiyo-baasan laughed. "Ah yes, Godou has been telling me the stories you told him. He really sounded like he wanted to go there as well."

"Really?" He smiled, knowing just how the rest of the Investigation Team would surely love meeting the energetic boy. Maybe Nanako would like having a new friend too. "But I promised Shizuka first that she would be the one I would bring to Inaba this coming Golden Week. The town is holding an event on those days."

"Ah, yes. That was on the news recently." Chiyo-baasan looked at him, knowing. "So, is the Hanamura-boy a friend of yours?"

Yu nodded again. "Yes, he is a very close friend of mine."

He then shook his head exasperatedly. "In fact, just this afternoon, he kept grumbling at me over the phone that this wasn't really what he dreamed of when he thought of becoming famous. He said he expected it would be because of his looks, or charms, or abilities, not because he yelled at his dad's boss. I told him that I was certain he wouldn't be on TV because of those."

The old woman tilted her head. "Really? In your words then, why don't you describe your friends?"

Yu smiled. Then he spoke, slowly and carefully, describing his many friends. He told of the quirky brunet music-lover Yosuke, of how the martial enthusiast brunette Chie loved her steaks and DVDs. He regaled of his underclassmen, the former delinquent Kanji who was actually a huge softie, the idol Rise who was more than what her shows told of her. He laughed at the memory of Yukiko, the raven-haired Yamato Nadeshiko who had the _small_ tendency to laugh uproariously over the smallest things, and spoke of the contrast between the cheerful, wonderful Teddie and serious, taciturn Naoto.

He didn't notice it then, but slowly, the elderly woman's eyes turned watery.

He then went on further, of the – slightly – greedy fox who seemed like he had several run-ins with the yakuza, and of the now-determined Naoki who had moved on past his sister's death. Sayoko, the risqué nurse, really deserved a huge mention, especially with the likenesses she shared with Ichirou-jiisan. He also told the story of Shu, and of how he reconciled with his mother.

He was in the middle of telling Eri and Hisano's stories when Chiyo-baasan looked away.

She said, "Those stories… please, don't tell them to me."

After that, silence ensued as Yu didn't push further. Chiyo-baasan took some strength from that and asked her final question.

"Then, Yu-kun. Would you tell me about yourself?"

She raised her hand before he spoke. "And no, not about your wonderful friends. About yourself."

Yu kept quiet. It was his turn to look away. "Chiyo-baasan, what do you mean?"

"Yu-kun, I had noticed how you speak." She said softly, looking at him with slightly wet eyes. "You speak of your friends, of your memories with them, and your words are sincere. You really love the moments that you had with your friends and family. But when have you ever gazed upon yourself in a mirror, Yu-kun?"

He opened his mouth, and no amount of Expression or Courage could make the words come out.

Outside of the few minutes that he had talked to his Shadow, Yu never thought of who was Narukami Yu.

"Would you tell me the story?"

Before he realized it, Yu was already shaking his head. Then he realized.

Why was it so hard to talk about himself?

Chiyo-baasan nodded gravely. "Then, could you promise to tell me when you can finally tell your story?"

Without knowing why, Yu said 'yes' with a sob.

Why was he crying?

Why was it that when he tried to look back before Inaba, he couldn't really remember anything?

* * *

><p><strong>Present:<strong>

"_I don't know. No one can ever be sure that we would ever find the truth, but there must be a way to find it. We would save our friends, our town, and our reality. At least, that we can be certain. At least that, we would prove true."_

_ - _**Onashiro Togane, from the sequel **_Through The Detective's Eyes_ **by Marche Heir.**

Narukami Yu was a man of few fears.

It might sound a bit arrogant, coming from him, but he knew himself more than anybody else could ever understand. His friends knew him, yes, and some of them also knew of his deepest secrets and fears, but there were parts of him that he forever kept away, a past he was less than proud of. Only one person knew other than him, and she had passed away years ago. And he wasn't planning on speaking of them anymore. Even when he knew that they could become his Shadows.

After all, how would he ever tell them than in the beginning, he didn't even see them as 'friends'?

But if there were some fears that they never knew, there were also those fears that they understood but decided to ignore. It wasn't any act of cruelty or selfishness on their part though, for it also regarded his own safety.

Narukami Yu hated- no, feared the moments when his friends put themselves in mortal danger for him.

His nightmares still carried those images, those horrifying experiences of black, emaciated arms coming from the darkness, pulling not him but his friends down into a kind of Hell, all of it because they took on his blows, took on his curses, and sacrificed themselves to ensure he was safe.

That's why when his brother jumped between him and his attacker, all of those images coalesced together and made him _snap_.

"_Godou_!"

The bolts of lightning, crashing ice, and cutting wind hit the younger teenager, and there was _blood, blood everywhere_ and all he could think of was _no, not again notagainnotagain _before he heaved his offending unresponsive body off the ground and towards his injured relative.

He ignored Rise's voice that was resounding deep within his mind, telling him to _calm down_ because it was his brother. He knew that it probably wasn't the first time Godou got hurt- no, Erica had mentioned to him he had _worse_ – but this was Godou. Even with the six years of age that was in his features now, even today he still saw him as the kid that became as dear to him as Nanako.

And he wasn't going to let his younger brother or sister down anymore.

_Save me, Onii-chan!_

No, not anymore.

"Godou," He murmured, voice contrastingly calm compared to his thoughts, just a twist of slight anger coloring its tone. It was all he could barely do to prevent the fog that covered him from unraveling, from revealing his identity too early. "Why did you have to jump in between us?"

Godou only formed an almost unrepentant smirk, the curl forming slowly as it probably took difficulty in moving his lips. "I don't know. My body just moved on its own."

The cheeky answer proved good for Yu's growing temper, his anger finally slowing down into a cold, almost dark, intent to _harm_ the bastard who had hurt his brother. With that, he finally listened again to the mental voice that was no doubt only ringing in his mind.

_"Senpai, have you calmed down now?"_

'Sorry, Rise." He replied back, just as mentally. 'You can reconnect me to them now.'

With a small click at the back of his mind, Yu slowly collected himself, already choosing which Personas to use to _finish the damn battle_. But before that, he placed a hand on the forehead of his in-pain brother.

"Godou," Yu found himself murmuring, against his better thoughts. The reason why he chose to speak via telepathy after all was to prevent anyone from recognizing his voice. But Godou really made it difficult for him. "That was really reckless of you. Well, at least since we have met before, it wasn't another of your weird first impressions again, right?"

He ignored the resultant gasp from his brother and channeled the powers of the guardian goddess of the underworld, her Egyptian headdress and golden blue feathers already showing in his mind. Calling the power of the Ultimate Persona of the Empress Arcana, Isis released again the same burst of energy he released only hours ago back then at the hospital.

"_Salvation_."

Watching his brother's wounds heal almost spontaneously, he turned to look around at all the watching people, no doubt only seeing nothing but his thickest fog. Time turned slow as the mist twisted the rules of time and space, probably with less than a second passing outside his close range.

_"Are you alright now, Kusanagi Godou?"_

He winced at the need for calling his close brother by his full name, all to help his image dissociate from Narukami Yu and [The Man in The Mist].

"Amazing…" Godou murmured as he sat up and gaped at the loss of his wounds. "Weren't Campione supposed to be almost entirely immune to all external magic? Erica told me that before."

_"If it was capable of breaking apart an offensive-oriented Authority, it's only reasonable for it to pierce through the magical resistance of a [Campione], Kusanagi Godou."_

"Stop calling me like that!" Godou snapped back before blinking, no doubt finding it strange to talk casually with a 'Heretic God' like him. Not knowing it, he further dashed Yu's hopes of making his ploy less difficult. "Just call me Godou. You already did it a few times, so why keep calling me by my full name?"

_"Very well then, Godou."_ A small spark of mischievousness colored his mental voice. _"The name Kusanagi was a mouthful anyway."_

Godou blinked again. "Ooookay."

He then looked around, probably seeing nothing but fog in all directions. "Wait, why haven't Voban or everyone else reacted by now? It's been minutes!"

A curl formed on Yu's lips, no doubt going unseen. _"This fog is special. It hides, twists, and reveals. The laws of time and space have no hold through its depths, and my will is enough to sufficiently slow or speed up the passage of seconds within my territory. Now, do you want to go back to your friends, **just**_ _watching?"_

The youngest Campione gulped. "Are you… angry?"

_"No."_ He replied with a long-suffering tone. _"I'm thankful, but you didn't need to do that for me. I could've endured it myself, and it's easy for me to heal my own wounds if I have to."_

That was true, as his previous Persona was Futsunushi. His Firm Stance and considerable endurance would've no doubt helped him tide over the worst of the blows, and if he had to, the Persona also had the Enduring Soul. He was completely capable if taking much worse if he had to.

Godou laughed sheepishly, as if he hadn't been bleeding heavily on the ground just minutes ago. "Ah, was that right? Sorry then."

_"Just don't do it again."_ Yu said with as much seriousness as he could to bleed through the mental voice. He then eased it, the tone turning into something slightly pleading. _"Please."_

Godou stared almost wonderingly at him before nodding. "Alright… So, can I go…?"

_"Just walk straight to your left. When the fog recedes, you would already be with your friends."_

When the young Kusanagi finally left, Yu slowly pulled in the fog back at himself, wincing a bit at the amount of energy he had to spend on maintaining it. The moment it returned to its previous state, a clinging cloak of white mist covering just all of his features and hiding his appearance, he turned back to the glare of the oldest Campione.

Only three seconds had passed for them.

Heaving a sigh, Yu pushed back the thoughts about reckless younger brothers and recalled the earlier anger that had been the result of harming said brother. At first, all he had planned was to simply disable Voban of all of his Authorities.

Now?

The angel that was followed by death and disease carried a single trumpet held by white hands. A skull and bony body, adorned by white robes like his, released the pinions on its back, revealing six wings. Trumpeter, easily one of his most favored of all Personas, came to the front of his mind. A twisted sound, indescribable in its utter wrongness from coming through something like a brass trumpet, resounded through the entire ravaged field that used to be a park.

Heat Riser. Debilitate. Mind Charge.

Three spells were released at the same moment, one of them immediately hitting Voban and the other two strengthening both his body and mind. A huge formation of energy formed in Yu's hands, an orb of pure destruction aimed to completely defeat his enemy and further enhanced by his previous augmentation. It completely reflected his thoughts.

He shot. He hadn't used this move for a long time now, and hadn't planned on using it before. But Voban had gone too far.

Who cared if there was a chance that the old Campione would be in serious mortal danger after this?

With a shout, Yu restarted the battle with a huge blast. "**Megidolaon!**"

* * *

><p>Yosuke winced at the sound of the explosion no doubt far away ringing in his mind. Looking around, he could see his other friends doing the same, the telepathic connection between all of them making it difficult as they shared part of the senses of their fighting leader.<p>

"H-Hanamura-sama… Block A and D have already sold out their products…"

With another wince at the respectful (and slightly fearful) tone of his current secretary, he immediately replied. "Ah, is that so, Yamanaka-san? Would you care to call the Nishinomiya Industries for me, along with one of my managers for the local warehouses? I'll ask for them to deliver more of the shipments from their storages."

The blonde woman widened her eyes and stood up stiffly. "No need to worry yourself, Sir! I'll be the one to tell them for you!"

"Ah, you don't have to- oh there she goes."

With a sigh, Yosuke rubbed at his temples.

A mental snicker sounded through his mind. With narrowing eyes, he sent back warningly, 'Yes, Chie? Anything to comment?'

'Nothing at all, Yosuke-sama!' The policewoman teased just as telepathically, all the way from another part of the mall they resided in. This was the problem with telepathy; you don't really get that much privacy when whispers of your thoughts – especially when flustered – keep getting shared with the rest of your friends. 'Nope, nope, don't fire me, Yosuke-sama!'

'If I could fire you, I would.' Yosuke grit his teeth, signing even more of his paperwork. 'And I don't fire every secretary I hire!'

Naoto entered the conversation with the mental nudge that was certainly her rolling her eyes. 'Who was it again that never had the same secretary for more than three months?'

'That was you guys' fault and you know it! How can I keep a single secretary when I keep having to travel around the world, pulling you guys out of trouble?!'

'Details, details, Yosuke-sempai.' Kanji added his two cents, also from _another_ annex of the newly built mall they were all in. 'After all, we all knew of that incident when one of them didn't even last _three minutes_ before you kicked her out.'

'It was _Kashiwagi._ I have no regrets about my choice of kicking her out of my office before she defiled it with her nasty, touchy-feely, and undoubtedly slimy hands.'

'Again, details.'

'Everyone!' Rise's voice sounded through their bickering, a little winded and very annoyed. 'I know I've gotten pretty good at multitasking – hell, I'm analyzing Sempai's enemy for him _and_ telepathically connecting more than _twenty _people with the separate telepathic webs at the same time – but between all of that and dancing here on stage with Teddie, could you stop filling my mind with headaches from all of your snarking?!'

Yukiko's voice was almost whispering. 'I hadn't added my joke yet…'

'Shush!'

Teddie's voice was _loud _and clear. 'I'm cheering for you, Rise-chan!'

'You're here on stage with me, so shut up and dance!'

Yes, they were all in a single building – a mall to be exact – a few miles away from the battlefront. He was signing paperwork, Chie was demonstrating her kung-fu to impressionable kid and adults, Yukiko was welcoming dozens of guests, Kanji was holding a fashion show, Naoto was managing all of the local security guards, and the two idols were dancing and singing on a stage at the very center of the mall. All at the same time, in the same building that was filled with bright lights and floating balloons.

Why? Because it was the 'The I.T. is Coming to Town' celebration of the month. Also known as the 'Flashiest Distraction Plan of The Century in Between the Investigation Team'.

Famed for their 'awesomeness', as he used to call it back when he didn't know just how much trouble there was in holding them, it was a recorded _fact_ that most of the local population of rushed to get a chance in their celebrations whenever they held them. Men, women, children, and seniors alike actively left their homes to experience the I.T. sensation.

Plus, when the storm came because of Voban and the Rainy Day Sale activated as a result, it wasn't a surprise if at least 90% of Tokyo's non-working population was in the mall. Thank goodness they had learned to buy up many _hectares _of land for just one of the newest Junes Malls outside of Inaba.

And with a _hundred_ repetitions of the spell Marakukaja in its walls, good enough to last for a day but still barely remaining unnoticeable, it was practically a war bunker. A war bunker complete with all daily needs, distractions, and a good enough reason to keep the people inside without knowing just what was happening outside.

And if the local Compilation Committee was just as ignorant of the real purpose as everyone else, well at least they enjoyed the _lucky coincidence_ that there was now almost no chance of anyone being witness to any kind of magical battles. Likewise with noticing the _unimportant_ lack of a certain silver-haired teacher for one instance.

Yosuke sighed for the second time that minute. There was nothing more he wanted than to leave the office and enter the battlefield with his Partner, each and every one of them all agreed on that. But it would've been too risky, too high a chance for someone to recognize the connection between the now named [Man in The Mist] and the Investigation Team.

"Not yet huh, Yu?"

* * *

><p>Rise held back a flinch at the headache that was slowly forming in her head.<p>

She really wasn't joking about the whole multitasking thing. Being the self-proclaimed information specialist of the Team since _years _ago, she had the duty to watch over everything and manage communications when needed. If it meant telepathy between really problematic individuals, she had to do it.

Not that she found any difficulty in doing so. Having Kanzeon as her Persona was her greatest asset, plus the effort that she actually needed to put in was nothing more than a constant command set in her mind to connect whoever she wanted, look and scan whatever she wanted. Kanzeon did the rest.

Now, doing that _while_ dancing and singing along the tunes of _True Story_ was a completely different matter. No matter how much she liked the song, it was still difficult to recall the lyrics properly when voices of other people in her head kept interrupting her thoughts. Twice already she had to stop herself from singing out what somebody else was thinking, and the pointless bickering that her friends kept adding into the noise didn't help matters.

Yu on the other hand was disquietingly _quiet_.

Yes, the silver-haired man could make you have to squeeze out sentences from him, but Rise knew very well that his mind was by far the least quiet of them all. Not that it was due to any case like insanity or craziness, but because while he was the calmest of them all, the sheer amount of Personas he had kept making his head sound like an orchestra in the middle of the night. This was because many of them had too many contrasting details between them; for example, having Lucifer and Metatron in the same mind wasn't probably a good idea.

The only way to get them very silent was to make them all agree in something. Yu's entire psyche would have to be completely devoted to one thought, and nothing else. It first happened when Nanako was kidnapped. Next was when Adachi discarded his 'joker' persona and revealed his true colors. Then, when Izanami-no-Okami came into play.

All those examples had one thing in common. Yu had been terrifyingly _angry_.

_"Sempai, please don't blow your cover now."_

The silver-haired man replied flatly, almost coldly. _"Don't worry, Rise. I won't do that, nor would I kill him. But since I can heal up basically everything I could do to him if I have to, I also won't be holding back."_

She attempted the tried-and-proven way of calming her Sempai down. While singing the chorus of _True Story_ at the same time.

_"What would Godou think when he finally finds out it was his older brother who almost mutilated an old man? A distressingly insane, powerful, corrupted old man true, but would he really care about that detail at that point?"_

A silence, before the smallest echoes of the orchestra sounded again. _"…Alright. I was almost satisfied with my retribution anyway."_

Rise heaved a mental sigh of relief. As always, the 'when' scenarios worked. It was all true anyway, as they all knew secrets would be exposed one way or another, especially for such a secret as they had. Almost absentmindedly, she turned her mind's eye away from Yu and towards his enemy.

Immediately, she almost felt pity.

Sasha Dejanstahl Voban. The oldest Campione; powerful, sharp, and as wild as his most favored animal. Yet nobody would ever think of him as that man if they ever see him as he was now.

The first _Megidolaon_ was just the beginning. Yet with it, the old man already had to use his Resurrection Authority. He had laughed then, happy that his wishes of fighting a strong enemy proven true, but thought it was the last trump card Yu had. Effectively, it would've been a draw if that was true.

It wasn't, and his laughter was interrupted with a Fire Amp-ed Maragidyne. Then followed by its counterparts, Mabufudyne, Magarudyne, Maziodyne. His remaining traces of the [Sturm Und Drang] Authority were blown away by the overpowered third-tier elemental all-hit spells, and while the high magical-resistance of the [Campione] proved to be powerful, it didn't prevent them from leaving their marks.

The fire left severe burns on the hand that attempted to deflect it away, turning it pitch-black with ashes and scabs in front of Voban who thought of it as nothing more than a last-minute effort. The fireball was immediately by walls of fire, all of them dodged almost haphazardly, the oldest Campione still too in shock to properly react outside of sheer reflex. He snapped out of it with a growl – a _human _one, for the Wolf Authority was already dispelled – when a ring of flame surrounded him and immediately escaped the blaze with a superhuman jump.

With the sound of crushing glass, the elements changed, the hot roaring fires quickly turning into rime and ice, the flame tongues snapping into dazzling figurines of ice, their edges sharp. Cracks immediately roared through the entire structure, all of the ice snapping and breaking apart into razor shards and flying upwards to meet the falling Voban. With a roar tinged with desperation and exhaustion, the old man called for his winds, lightning, and water, the Weather Authority breaking apart with one final twister and returning all of them back to Yu.

To no use, as it also broke apart when winds just as strong as the twister itself came from him and met them in between, leaving the two of them staring down each other. One, behind his mist, and the other trapped midair and without any way of dodging. Yu took the chance, launching his last Maziodyne and hitting Voban point-blank. All the remaining clouds from the earlier clash of winds evaporated immediately and the smell of ozone filled the air, along with the ringing _screams_ of pain from the oldest Campione.

And so, the proud First Campione was left into a smoking, coughing, black heap of limbs and burns on the devastated ground.

"Haha… hahahahahahaha!" Laughter spilled out of his lips, maddened yet strangely… peaceful. Even as he choked on his blood, sounds of enjoyment still came from the defeated Campione. "So… this really is my last battle? My last hunt, where I became the prey after I looked too far?"

With a snap, Yu-sempai's thoughts went for a different turn. Doing her job, Rise reflected it with the same mental voice she used to mask the identity of their leader.

_"So, you've already accepted your defeat?"_

Voban tilted his head almost interestedly, the image turned grittier with the cuts and burns left on his face. "Why would I not? Who is the one left on the ground, who is the victor left standing?"

He laughed again, very pleased for someone who was facing their death. "Even if I had even more Authorities to match you, they are left simply out of reach because I am now incapable of them."

_"Very well."_

And for a moment, Rise thought that her sempai would charge up another of his attacks, or take out one of his swords to decapitate the old man decorated with a crazed smile. For a moment, she imagined he would then sully his hands with the blood of a human, the blood of one who killed thousands long before. And then after that moment, Narukami Yu, with his fog enveloping his expression and identity from whoever watched, walked up to the Marquis.

Without warning, he punched the oldest Campione to the ground and turned to walk away.

_"Then this battle would be my victory. Take your loss, your hunt, and leave this country and never return. If you want another battle, then send me your challenge. I'll visit and give you a rematch that would be more interesting that this could ever become."_

For a minute, nothing but the sound of grass skeletons being crushed by his steps could be heard. But then a yell came from one of the people watching everything from when it began.

"Wait!" Erica Blandelli, the girlfriend of her sempai's brother held out a hand, eyes wild as she tried to take in what just happened. "Are you… just leaving it like this?"

Her gaze wandered to the oldest Campione, unconscious and covered with wounds on the destroyed battlefield, before turning them back to the figure in the mist.

Yu held her stare, even through the white disorienting fog that covered his own eyes. _"I have never said I aimed to kill. I only promised to give him his battle as he wished."_

"But he wasn't holding back!"

_"But I was."_ The reply was quick, and everyone could only wait and listen. _"Since the beginning, I was. Godou's misguided attempt to protect me only lessened that, but I never aimed to kill."_

"Are you even a [Heretic God]?" Mariya Yuri's voice softly sounded all over the burned ground.

Another moment of silence, before Yu-sempai's final words replied through Rise's mental voice. _"What do you all think?"_

A flash of light later she knew that was a Traesto, Rise finally cut off all the mental links. She was sure that within minutes, her Sempai would already be back in the Kusanagi home, changed and looking nothing more than another high-school teacher. And that within an hour, all of the Investigation Team could celebrate together.

She paused, and smiled at her audience back on her stage, panting only slightly. Perfect, just in time for the end of _True Story_.

Now, with all the problematic things done, they could finally really enjoy themselves in their party.

* * *

><p>"…Godou. Godou! Are you listening to me, Godou?"<p>

The Seventh Campione snapped out of his trance. "Ah yes, Erica?"

It was already the day after that battle between the mysterious [Man in The Mist] and Voban, and he was still thinking about everything that happened.

Several times it had come to him, regarding the strange entity whose existence was a complete mystery. Words said then kept on repeating inside his head, his mind analyzing them over and over again with an abnormal amount of intensity that was fueled by his instincts that kept telling him there was something in them. Several things had at least been benefited from the effort, and nevertheless they kept baffling him.

First; he recognized his voice. Yes, it was oddly twisted, bizarrely tainted with a slight echo that made precise recognition difficult, but he knew with all his heart that he had heard that voice before. Yet, even as he tried to compare it to anyone he met since he became a Campione, nothing came up. It was rather frustrating for him.

Second was just as puzzling; as strange was that strong _instinct_ at the back of his head to _jumpjumpjumpsavehimsavehim_ when Voban shot his last attack, causing Godou to catch the blow – it was _painful_, mind you – it was still stranger that the [Man in The Mist] actually _worried_ for him. As far as he knew, he _really_ didn't know the man. Or at least he would've recognized just whose voice it was then, right?

He was now going around in circles again.

"**Godou**!"

With a slight jump, he turned back again to the slightly forceful knight. Erica was _really_ frowning this time. "Tell me Godou, what is it that has you so distracted?"

"I was just… thinking, I guess?"

With an exaggerated sigh, she turned to look at him sharply before it softened into something more teasing. Less severe. "Should I be worried?"

Godou rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Erica. I should be the one saying that myself, because it seems that it's always your bright ideas that pull me into trouble."

Before she could reply, a cough interrupted them. Narukami Yu, a chalk in his hand writing something on the blackboard, looked at them with amused eyes. Along with the gazes of practically every other person in the classroom. "Is there anything you would like to share to the class, Godou?"

With a snap of his jaw, Godou tried to turn away and escape the attention. Why had he forgotten that it was classtime? So embarrassing…

Apparently though, Erica didn't feel the same. Proudly, she put a hand on her chest and proclaimed loudly for everyone to hear, "Ah no, Yu-san-" Since when has she been calling him that?! "Godou had only been telling me here just how much he loved being with me and how he would like to go on trip to Italy with me this coming summer vacation."

Loud roars came from the entire class this time. Among them was Godou. "Wait, since when did I agree on that?! And that wasn't what I said!"

"Hmmm…" His brother looked interestedly between the two of them. "Really, Godou?"

Completely ignoring the fact that it was still in the middle of Biology class – for some reason, the actual teacher was absent – Godou turned to his Yu-niisan. "No!"

The silver-haired man smiled. "Ah good. I was actually planning on going to Greece with my friends myself this summer, and I thought about inviting you as well. But if you want, you could go with Erica-san…"

"No!" Godou said quickly, before backtracking as he felt Erica's glare that was aimed at him – and surprisingly, Yu. "I m-mean, yes! After all, it's been years since we hung out with each other, r-right? Maybe a vacation between us would make up with the lost time, p-plus, I can finally talk properly with your friends!"

Honestly, Godou was still a little wary of meeting the Investigation Team, even with how he was already getting used with their presence within the school.

Erica spoke again, causing the looks of the entire class to shift again, completely interested in the unfolding drama. "Do you _really _mean that, Godou?"

With a gulp and sweaty palms, he nodded. "Y-yes."

The tension skyrocketed as she gazed him analytically, almost dissecting him with just her eyes. It ended after several long seconds that felt like hours, with Erica sighing for the second time. "Very well…"

"You could come along too, you know?"

With a snap, both of them turned to the amused Yu. The teacher had a smile on his lips as he further explained. "I was also going to invite you too, along with the rest of the Kusanagi family and even Mariya-san."

"E-eh?" Godou found himself saying. "W-wait, Yu-niisan-"

With an obviously half-hearted sigh of relief – obvious to Godou at least, as she lost that wily look in her eyes that were there when she planning something – Erica interrupted him. Then sent his brother with a bright smile. "Of course! I could cancel my trip anytime. It wouldn't be half as interesting without Godou after all."

She then shot him with an almost disappointed look. "Then again, I really had hoped he would come along…"

Yu-niisan shook his head too. "Sorry about it then, Godou could get like this sometimes."

Wait, what?

"Ah, you shouldn't apologize for him, Yu-san. It _is_ his fault, after all."

No, it wasn't! It was all Erica!

"With that done then, we should return to class then?"

Eh?

That was when Godou finally remembered again, for the last time, of the presence of everyone else of the class. And with it, he noticed the recriminating looks from the female population in the classroom, and the murderous glares coming from all the guys.

With a moan, Godou gave in the absurdity of it all and slammed his head back down to the desk, hiding as much of his face as possible.

And with all of that, he was too uncomfortable trying to ignore all the stares everyone had on him to continue thinking about the [Man in The Mist].

Had he been taking attention, he would've noticed Yu in front of them all heaving a small sigh of relief. Had he been less distracted, he would've felt the niggling sensation at the back of his mind that would've felt familiar to the mental voice that he had heard yesterday. He would've felt something in his head changing slightly, nothing major, maybe a slight change to some sensory details of his memory.

But he hadn't. What he had noticed though, was that after that class, he couldn't remember the voice the [Man in The Mist] had spoken with to him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Shorter chapter this time. Sorry everyone, can't keep on churning 15K chapters after all! Huh? Only the previous chapter was 15K? Details, details…<strong>

**Ah, deviations, deviations… Yu, what have you done to the entire plot of the next novel now? Poor me… kufufufufufu.**

**I hate the lack of a damage bar. I have to be realistic with damage, and Yu being a Master of All Stats doesn't help things one bit. And yes, I _still_ haven't explained the mechanics or basically everything Yu and the Investigation Team did. Don't expect that to happen soon, wait until the related Past chapter comes up!**

**Again, you anon reviewers have to make my life difficult…**

**Review Response:**

_Guest: It _is_ meant to be unclear. Sorry, wait for a few more chapters!_

_Guest: The titles and background of the IT would be slowly revealed over time. Also, those Genre-Savvy enough could surely read between the lines._

_Random Reviewer: Welcome back, RR-san! You sure know how to ask difficult questions, do you? Are you part of Debate? Ah, back to the answering… First question, you answered it already. For the sake of balance. If Yu basically used an Ultimate Blocker Persona, he wouldn't have any problems with anything, right? After all, even earth slabs and choking/drowning could be considered Physical and Wind respectively if you think of it. So, the decision would be Personas would only have their original resistances + several moves that are possible under fusion mechanics. And I never actually played Golden – damn that gamebreaking choose-your-skill mechanic that wasn't on the original P4!_

_As for the subject of the Campione using Almighty Attacks, this would be my perception. Almighty Attacks are generally all about bursts of _pure unadulterated _energy. Light and lightning _can_ be considered Almighty, but only when it reaches such a high level. So yeah, Authorities on those elements would turn almighty, and everything else would turn to the standard typing system of the P4. Voban's weather Authority actually made it difficult, but considering it also mixes in Wind and Water (consider it as Ice + Fire), I decided it would be a quad-typed Authority, not a Almighty one. This way, the Wolf Authority would be Phys + Light + Dark, and the rest of the elements would be on the Weather Authority._

_Oh yeah, if you didn't get why Yu fell down when he got hit by the Dark attack, players of the game who used Futsunushi before would be able to tell you that the otherwise wonderful Persona has one **glaring**_ _weakness of Dark. Poor to those who couldn't fuse him with Null Dark, especially with how he keeps taking those low-leveled Phys Skills of his materials! (Sorry for that rant, I was one of _those_ players.)_

_Star Iron: Godou would only be the one to get a harem, and that is only in respect to Canon. I have a slight apprehension of the genre, being a hopeless romantic. This subject is actually why I chose Campione instead of High School DxD: from one harem LN to another, at least this main character isn't a huge pervert. I wouldn't be able to characterize perverts that well after all…_

**Thank you for the reviews, and please leave behind more next time!**

**"**_Oh Murphy, how I wish Noah swatted those two damn mosquitoes…"_

- _ReaderDreamer5625s_


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